The Price
by eiahmon
Summary: Part 9 finally added! Xehanort wants answers from Braig, but there is a price to be paid.
1. The Price

**Disclaimer: Disney and Square Enix own it all, though I wouldn't mind "renting" Xehanort for a while. He's just so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute – even when he's summoning his keyblade and yanking out hearts with it.**

**A/N: Damn it, just once I wanted to read Uke!Xehanort. Since no one else seemed to be writing it, it was up to me.**

Xehanort couldn't stop the small cry that escaped his lips.

Despite his firm resolve to remain silent whenever Braig took him and show neither pleasure nor pain, he was never able to stop the cries and whimpers from escaping as the older man pounded into him. He cried out softly again and turned his head away, but the elder's calloused hand gripped him firmly by the turn and made him turn back.

"Look at me, Xehanort. This is the price we agreed on."

Xehanort swallowed hard against the bile that rose in the back of his throat and forced himself to look into Braig's face, to meet his single yellow eye. The other, as always, was covered by an eye patch.

It had been a simple agreement; Xehanort knew nothing about his past and wanted to know. Braig seemed to know him but wasn't forthcoming.

_Hey, Mr. Master. Oh, come on, you don't even know your pal? Please tell me the amnesia was just a sick joke._

After repeated questions, which were answered with silent refusals, Braig had finally lost patience with the newest apprentice. His left hook had sent Xehanort flying across the library, where he had slumped to the floor in a corner, dazed and nursing a bloody nose and a burst upper lip. Braig had walked – no _stalked_ – over to him, and Xehanort had looked up at him, shaking in sudden fright as the dark haired man loomed over him, clutching his fists like he was trying to stop himself from striking again.

After an endless length of time, in which Xehanort had expected to be beaten within an inch of his life, Braig had relaxed suddenly and knelt down in front of him.

"So you want to know?" he had asked quietly.

_Hey, you're not... Terra, are you?_

Hesitantly, wary of setting off the man's temper again, Xehanort had nodded, his wide, frightened brown eyes watching for the first hint that he was going to be hit again.

"I can tell you what you want to know, but are you gonna pay the price?"

Price? What price?

Braig had stood up, and pulled Xehanort to his feet with him. He had then led him quickly through the corridors of the castle to one of the many unused rooms in the basement. Xehanort had understood immediately; whatever Braig had planned, he didn't want them to be overheard. Braig grabbed him roughly by the arms, turned him so his back was to the older man, and he had closed his eyes when Braig reached around to unsnap his black pants and shoved them down to his calves, where they bunched up around the tops of his boots. He had then forced Xehanort down onto his hands and knees on the cold stone floor, and his lab coat was tossed up over his upper back, out of the way. A second later, he heard Braig unsnapping his own pants and felt the warmth of his body as he knelt behind him.

"This is the price, Xehanort." Braig had hissed in his ear "Are you prepared to pay it?"

Still shaking with barely suppressed terror, Xehanort had closed his eyes, prepared to refuse, but then, he paused. He HAD to know, and Braig had the answers, so he nodded, once. He could almost hear Braig's triumphant grin, and a waded up rag was stuffed in his mouth. He had no time to ponder what the rag was for, before the answer was given to him.

He had felt Braig grab him by the hips, and then pain had exploded in his lower body as Braig entered him in one swift thrust. Xehanort had screamed around the rag in his mouth and tried to get away, but Braig's firm grip on his hips kept him from doing so.

"You agreed to pay the price; no backing out now."

That first time had been agony, and when it was over, Braig had left him lying there crying on the floor of the empty storeroom, in a mess of shit, semen, and blood. It wasn't until several days later, when Xehanort was finally able to sit down normally (Which had caused no end of concerned questions from Master Ansem and the other apprentices.) that Braig had found him as he was readying for bed and told him simply that he had been a master swordsman. Then he had walked away, leaving the white haired man too stunned to reply.

A week or so after that, he had caught Xehanort working alone in the lab, pushed him down over the table he had been working at, and asked him if he was willing to pay, with an added "Don't worry, I won't be as rough this time. You might even enjoy it."

Xehanort had agreed, and that set the pattern for the next several months. Braig would find him whenever he was working alone somewhere, and, without any sort of warning, give him a quick, hard fucking before leaving as quickly as he had appeared. Within a few days, he would give Xehanort small snippets of information, such as the fact that his homeworld had been destroyed in a war and was now a barren wasteland*, or that he had no family left.

Sometimes the sex was rough and painful and other times it was almost gentle, but one thing never changed, and that was that Xehanort was never able to derive more than brief flickers of pleasure from it. It could be because, even though he was willing, his mind and heart recoiled in disgust at what was being done to him, at what he was _allowing_ to be done to him. Whenever he was alone, the chances of being found and used by Braig were fairly high, and despite his desire for answers, he began sticking close to the other apprentices or to Master Ansem, hoping to catch a breather. But that hadn't worked, Braig had simply found him in his bedroom and fucked him repeatedly throughout the night, even as Xehanort begged him to leave him in peace so he could sleep.

It was the first time he had been late for breakfast since his recovery from whatever injuries had left him needing nearly around the clock care from Master Ansem, and later his surrogate father had taken him aside and gently asked him if everything was all right. Everyone had noticed that he had become tense and fearful of being alone, and under the concerned voice and kind eyes, Xehanort had almost blurted everything out. But then Braig had appeared, standing behind Master Ansem, and he had given Xehanort such a vicious glare, that promised pain if he said a word, that he only said that he was tired. It was clear that Master Ansem hadn't believed his lie, but further questioning got him nowhere, so he had let the subject drop.

That night at dinner, Braig regaled the table with a tale of a local woman that slept around with a man, and then later claimed that she had been used and abused, even though she was willing. The other apprentices (except for Ienzo, who had gone off to bed already) jeered and laughed at the 'whore" and her claims of innocence.

No one noticed Xehanort shrinking down into his chair, nor the warning glare that Braig sent him. The message was clear; no one would sympathize with him if he talked.

Which was how Xehanort found himself once more lying on his back on the lab table with his legs up in the air, and his pants, boots, and under garments discarded on the floor somewhere, as Braig fucked him deep and hard. After so many months of being used on a nearly daily basis, Xehanort seldom felt any pain, only when Braig was rougher than normal, and even that was easily bearable. The lab door was open, and he knew that anyone (especially the ever curious Ienzo) could walk in on them at any moment, but he knew that Braig didn't care. If someone did see them, he could easily spin the story so that all shame and blame fell on Xehanort.

He forced himself to keep his gaze of Braig's face, unable as always to stop his whimpering and crying as he felt the older man moving in and out of him. He knew that it would be over soon, and sure enough, Braig quickened his pace, followed shortly thereafter by a groan as he shuddered, and Xehanort cried out as he felt the hot rush of semen fill him.

Braig stood there for a moment, panting heavily, before he quickly and easily slipped out of Xehanort's limp form and used a corner of the younger's lab coat to clean himself up before tucking himself back into his pants and walking out of the room like nothing had happened.

Xehanort remained on the table where he had been left for another moment, and then he slowly sat up and stepped down to the floor and began to gather up his clothing and redress himself. As he did, he couldn't stop the tears that ran down his face or the soft sobs that made it past his lips.

**OOOOOO**

"Xehanort, what were you thinking? Have your memories returned?"

Xehanort looked at where Evan and Ienzo were lying collapsed on the lab floor, and then back at Braig, who was approaching him warily.

Oh yes, he remembered; he remembered everything. With an utterly blank expression on his face, he raised his right hand and summoned his keyblade. Braig raised his hands and jumped back in surprise as the fear in his eyes spoke volumes about how he had realized that maybe his treatment of the younger man had been a mistake.

With a triumphant smile on his face, Xehanort lunged at his former... assistant, intending to plant the keyblade in Braig's chest and extract his heart.

Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this.

*Technically, Terra-Xehanort was "born" at the Keyblade Graveyard, so Braig is telling the truth here.


	2. The Price: Discovery

**Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wouldn't mind borrowing Amnesiac!Xehanort for a while. **

**A/N: Warning! Woobie!Xehanort ahead! XDDDD**

Ansem walked quietly down the dark, silent hall of the castle, towards the halls that housed the apartments of his apprentices. It was unusual for him to visit their rooms so late at night; except for Ienzo, all of them were grown men and hardly in need of a bed check, and if Ienzo had a nightmare or was ill, he would go to Even. At one time, Ansem had checked on Xehanort every night, once his newest apprentice had been deemed well enough to move from a spare bedroom in Ansem's own chambers to his own apartments, but that had been long ago.

Yet it was worry and concern for Xehanort that saw the lord of Radiant Garden walking down the chilly halls so late at night. Earlier Ansem had gently confronted him about his change in behavior, about why he had become so tense and afraid of being alone, but Xehanort's answer had done nothing to ease his worry. Something was wrong with the boy, and he had tossed and turned in his own bed before he had opted to just go and check on him, even if it was to assure himself that the boy was alright. He was sure he would find Xehanort sleeping peacefully in his bed, perhaps with a book lying open on the covers where he had dropped it upon falling asleep and...

Wait. What was that?

Ansem paused for a moment and listened. Xehanort's rooms were still a bit down the hall, yet he could clearly hear voices coming from that direction, but they were indistinct, and no words could be understood. He walked closer and saw a sliver of silvery moonlight falling across the hall floor to touch the opposite wall; Xehanort's door was cracked open.

"...going to tell him!" The quiet snarl quickly caught Ansem's attention, and he quickened his steps, while a sinking feeling in his gut told him that he was about to find out what was wrong with his newest apprentice. A pained whimper fell on his ears as he neared the door, and he carefully pushed it open on silent hinges and stepped into Xehanort's small sitting room. Just beyond that was the partially open door to the bedroom, so he crept closer and peeked in.

There were two figures on the bed, one sitting upright with its back to them – Braig, he was able to recognize by the long black hair – the other lying on it's stomach, with its hands tied behind its back. The face was turned away from the door, but the long white hair told Ansem immediately that it was Xehanort lying there. Braig was between Xehanort's spread legs, and Ansem realized immediately what the sharpshooter was doing to the younger man as a muffled scream fell upon his ears.

"This is the price we agreed upon, Xehanort!" Braig snarled, and a hard thrust made Xehanort scream again "What the hell were you going to do? Back out? As if! You're just a little whore, and no one will care if they find out!"

Ansem had seen enough.

"Braig!" he snapped as he slammed the door open the rest of the way and strode into the room "Get off of him! What are you doing!"

Braig's head snapped up in shock, and his eyes widened in horrified realization as Ansem walked up to the bed, and he scrambled off of Xehanort as quickly as he could. Somewhere in the back of Ansem's mind, he felt a flicker of grim satisfaction at Braig's reaction, but he pushed it aside in favor of checking on Xehanort's condition.

The boy hadn't moved from where Braig had left him. His head was turned away from Ansem, and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut, with tears running down his bruised and battered face. A gag was bound tightly into his mouth, and reason for it became plain when Ansem looked down, past the night gown that was hiked up past Xehanort's waist, to the semen and blood – so much blood – that was smeared on his thighs and soaked into the sheets. He was shaking and trembling, from the pain Ansem supposed, and the sight made his aged heart ache for his surrogate son as he reached down and removed the gag and began to untie his wrists.

"My lord?" Ansem looked up from Xehanort's raw, bloodied wrists to see Dilan and Aeleus standing in the door "What's going on? What happened?"

"Dilan, detain Braig." he ordered "Aeleus, I need you to carry Xehanort to the infirmary. I doubt that he can walk right now."

"No," Xehanort moaned, and Ansem soothed him and pulled his night gown down to cover him as Dilan dragged a protesting Braig out of the room and Aeleus walked up to bed. The two of them carefully turned Xehanort over onto his back, which elicited a cry of pain, and Aeleus gently gathered him into his arms and began to carry him from the room. Ansem followed close behind, and they encountered Even and Ienzo in the hall.

The pair looked at Xehanort crying softly in Aeleus' arms, and Ansem could see the wheels turning in their heads. Both of them were very intelligent, and the light quickly dawned in Even's eyes, and he looked at Xehanort in sympathy. A few seconds later, Ienzo also put the facts together, but thankfully, he did not seem to know exactly what Braig had done -

"Even, why is Xehanort bleeding from there?"

- but he was still far too observant not to notice that something was seriously wrong.

Even turned Ienzo away and began to walk him back to his room, while doing his best to fend off the child's persistent questions. Ansem thought that maybe they should have wrapped Xehanort in a blanket before taking him out of the room, but that thought was stricken suddenly from his mind when the boy's eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted in Aeleus' arms.

**OOOOOO**

Xehanort groaned as bright morning sunlight pierced his eyelids, waking him. As he began to surface from the depths of sleep, he became aware of the pain he was in; his wrists hurt, his face hurt, his lower body was a riot of pain from waist to mid thighs. What the hell had Braig done to him? He groaned again; walking and sitting were going to be painful for quite a while, it seemed.

"Xehanort?" a voice, filled with concern and worry, fell on his ears, and the events of the previous night rushed back to him. Braig had found him in his room just after he had gone to bed, to "punish" him for nearly telling Master Ansem everything. Xehanort remembered being punched and slapped and thrown down onto his bed. He remembered pleading with Braig to stop, being tied and gagged, and the agony as Braig had violently taken him. And then – Xehanort felt his heart sink to the floor – Master Ansem had found them. Aeleus had carried him out of the room in full view of Even and Ienzo, after Dilan had dragged Braig out.

Everyone knew; the secret was out. Now everyone in the castle would know that he was Braig's little whore, and they would sneer at him, and laugh at him, and tell him that he had deserved what Braig had done, since you couldn't rape a whore, after all. Tears burned in his eyes, and his chest hitched.

"Xehanort," came the voice again, and a small part of his mind that wasn't wrapped up in misery recognized it as Master Ansem's "You are safe, Xehanort. Braig will never lay his hands on you again." A warm hand began to stroke his hair, while a second took his and gently squeezed it.

_You don't understand!_ Xehanort wanted to wail, but he said nothing. It was better to enjoy the comfort that his surrogate father was giving him for a little longer, because eventually Braig would tell (If he hadn't already.) that Xehanort had been willing the entire time, and then kindness and concern would turn to disgust and revulsion.

Then came the question that he dreaded.

"How long has Braig been taking advantage of you?" Master Ansem asked. Xehanort cringed and didn't answer. Master Ansem sighed. "You needed stitches Xehanort, and the doctor told me of the old scars and tears that she found, so we know this was not the first time he hurt you. I need you to tell me what happened so I can make sure he never lays his hand on you or anyone else ever again."

"Master Ansem?" Dilan's tenor came from the other side of the room, and Master Ansem squeezed his hand one more time before Xehanort felt his weight leave the bed. He heard the two whispering urgently, and his damnable curiosity compelled him to open his eyes and look.

He was lying in a bed in the infirmary; he remembered the room with its large windows, red stone walls, stone inlay floor, and beds with starched white sheets well from the two weeks he had spent confined to it after Master Ansem had taken him in. Dilan and Master Ansem were over in the doorway leading to the rest of the castle, whispering to each other, and once in a while Dilan would look back at Xehanort in nod in his direction. He knew then for sure what Dilan was talking about.

Braig had told.

Xehanort squeezed his eyes shut as Dilan left the room and Master Ansem returned to his bedside. A warm hand grasped his own again.

"Look at me, Xehanort. I need you to look at me."

Xehanort warily cracked one brown eye open, expecting to see anger and disgust in his master's eyes, and he was surprised to see that the older man looked... sad?

"Oh Xehanort," the older man sighed regretfully "Why didn't you tell me yesterday when I asked you?"

"I.. I... I..."

"Braig told Dilan that you were willing. Is this true?"

Xehanort closed his eyes again and nodded miserably. There was no denying it.

"Why did you let him do that to you?" A choked sob was Xehanort's reply, and he wanted to turn away and bury his face in the pillows to hide his shame, but the throbbing agony that was his lower body made that impossible. "Xehanort? Please talk to me."

Crying in misery, Xehanort spilled everything to his master; about his suspicion that Braig knew him from before, the marksman's offer to tell him if he paid the price, that first, violent coupling, the frequent sex afterwards, the small snippets of information that revealed very little, and Braig's late night visits to his rooms. He told how the information had gradually slowed and then stopped, yet the sex had only continued on more frequently, despite Xehanort's refusals. Finally, he told of how he had nearly told everything the previous day, but Braig had warned him with a look to keep silent and then related the story of the local woman to Aeleus, Dilan, and Even, and how they had jeered at the woman's claims of abuse.

"And then he came to you last night." Master Ansem prompted gently, and Xehanort nodded.

"He said he was going to punish me for nearly telling." he said through a fresh wave of tears "I tried to make him stop and leave me alone, but he just wouldn't. He said I was just a whore, and no one would care about what he did to me."

Xehanort heard a sigh, and then Master Ansem let go of his hand and stood up from the bed. Xehanort felt his already heavy heart sink; he was being abandoned. What had he expected? He had allowed Braig to use him and now he was reaping the consequences. No one wanted to associate with a whore after all. He was going to have to leave Radiant Garden. The mere thought of leaving the only home he could remember made his heart wrench in agony, but he couldn't stay there anymore. He wouldn't be able -

Xehanort let out a startled yelp and his eyes flew open as he felt himself being gently scooped up into someone's arms.

"Master Ansem?"

"Shh." the old man said as he settled down on the edge of the bed with Xehanort on his lap, holding him securely in arms that were apparently much stronger than they looked "I haven't done this since Even was a boy – though he'll strenuously deny it if you ask him – but you need this, so be still."

Xehanort managed a watery chuckle of the picture of a child Even being cradled on Master Ansem's lap. "You're not disgusted with me? You're not going to throw me out?" he asked hesitantly as more tears trickled down his face. He hadn't cried like this since the weeks of torturous physical therapy he'd been forced to undergo once he'd been discharged from the infirmary, and then everyone around him had contributed his frequent crying to his memory loss screwing with his emotional control.

"Lords no, Xehanort!" the older man said vehemently "Nothing could make me reject you like that. I'm upset that you didn't trust me enough to come to me with your suspicions about Braig, but you simply made a bad decision that led you down a bad road. Braig should have never taken advantage of you in such a way, and when he ignored your refusals, he was committing rape." Xehanort's eyes widened in sudden shock. Rape? It had never occurred to him that Braig had raped him, but he _had_ said no multiple times, all of which had been ignored so, he supposed he had...

"Do you understand, Xehanort?" Master Ansem said gently "Sometimes I forget that your life essentially began two years ago, and that you don't know things that the rest of us do. What Braig did to you was wrong. You made a bad decision that allowed him to take advantage of you, but what happened to you is not your fault. Do you understand. It is not your fault."

Xehanort buried his face in Master Ansem's hair and began to cry again, only it was relief instead of misery. His surrogate father didn't hate him, wasn't disgusted with him, and he wasn't to blame for what Braig had done to him. Master Ansem held him and murmured soothingly to him as he wailed, and once his crying had quieted to hiccups, he produced a cool damp cloth from somewhere and used it to carefully wash his face.

"Feeling better?" he asked quietly, and Xehanort nodded as he scrubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his hospital gown "Ready to leave then? The doctor said you can go, but she wants you to rest for a few more days before you go back to the labs." With that Master Ansem gently eased him off of his lap so he stood on the floor by the bed, and a second later, a robe was slipped over his shoulders.

"Can you walk?" Xehanort nodded again, and Master Ansem began to slowly lead him towards the infirmary doors. Despite the reassurance, Xehanort felt his heart drop as they neared the doors; Master Ansem didn't blame him, but what about the others? Braig had been part of their group for years, since they were children, and Xehanort was the newcomer that was favored by the castle's lord. What would they think of him?

Master Ansem pushed the doors open, and they stepped out to find Dilan, Aeleus, Even, and Ienzo waiting in the hall.

Ienzo ran up to him and wrapped his small arms around his waist. "Are you okay, Xehanort?"

"I'm alright, Ienzo." he managed to say as he patted the boy's blue haired head. The child smiled up at him and ran back to Even, who simply nodded and smiled at him, and he could see no hint of reproach in the blond's vibrant green eyes.

"Are you sure that you're alright, Xehanort?" Aeleus asked as Dilan gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder, and Xehanort sagged with relief when he saw that they weren't angry or disgusted with him, and he managed a feeble smile as Aeleus picked him up and began to carry him down the hall, with Master Ansem, Dilan, Even, and Ienzo walking alongside like an honor guard.

To his surprise, and immense relief, he wasn't taken to his own apartments, instead he was taken to Master Ansem's rooms, where Aeleus gently laid him down on the bed in the spare bedroom where he had spent so much time recovering from his injuries two years before. Then he, along with Dilan, Even, and Ienzo, departed, and Master Ansem helped him change out of the hospital pajamas into his own nightclothes before he was tucked into bed. A never melting ice pack, made by Even, was placed on his bruised and swollen face, and Master Ansem sat down on the bed beside him until he fell asleep.

"Master Ansem?" he asked quietly as sleep tugged at his eyelids.

"Hmmm?"

"What happened to Braig?"

"He is in the prisons below the castle, and he'll stay there for quite a while. No one lays a hand on one of my children and gets by with it."

"Not even one of your other children?"

"Not even one of them." A hand gently smoothed his hair back from his face. "Go to sleep, Xehanort. Braig will never touch you again.'

Feeling safe and protected for the first time in months, Xehanort closed his eyes, sank into the mattress below him, and allowed the peace of sleep to wash over him.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: I have a few more ideas for this: alternate endings (alternate endings to my alternate ending. How sad is that? XD) a scene in which Braig gets out of his cell and tries to punish Xehanort for squealing, only this time, Xehanort fights back, scenes of Xehanort dealing with the aftermant, and a few other things. If you're interested in reading them, let me know. :)**


	3. The Price: Rejection

**Summary: Alternate ending to The Price: Discovery. Instead of supporting Xehanort, Ansem rejects him. Who will Xehanort turn to now?**

**A/N: Woobie!Xehanort strikes again! *takes out Angst Mallet and whomps Xehanort over the head with it* If this isn't your cup of tea, I advise you to bail now before you start reading. Oh and btw, this fic contains violence, violence, violence, violence towards the end. Don't say I didn't warn you!**

**A/N 2: Don't hate me for what I've done to Ansem in this, okay? *dodges bricks***

Even stood outside the infirmary doors with Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan, waiting for Master Ansem to bring Xehanort out. They could hear the two talking inside, but the words were indistinct and impossible to make out.

"What did Braig have to say for himself, Dilan?" Aeleus asked evenly, and Dilan closed his blue eyes and shook his head.

"I'll explain later." he replied, nodding his head towards Ienzo "Little ears are listening."

"I'm not little!" Ienzo protested, leveling Dilan with his signature one eyed glare that was effective in getting most adults to back down. Unfortunately for Ienzo, it had no effect on his fellow apprentices; they were immune to it due to repeated exposure.

Even chuckled and opened his mouth, but whatever he had been about to say was interrupted by a raised voice inside the infirmary. The four apprentices looked at each other in confusion for a moment before the infirmary doors slammed open and Master Ansem stalked out.

"Dilan," the older man ordered "Release Braig immediately."

Dilan's jaw fell open. "Are you sure, Master Ansem? After what he did to Xehanort..."

"He did nothing." Ansem said as he continued down the hall away from them "You cannot rape the willing, so release him immediately." The man turned a corner and vanished from sight then, and the four looked at each other for a long moment.

"I guess I had better do what he says." Dilan said in bewilderment, and the lancer walked away, heading towards the castle's prison. Even and Aeleus looked through the open infirmary doors, and they could clearly see Xehanort lying on a bed inside, and they could hear him crying softly.

Even made a decision. "Aeleus, can you take Ienzo for a bit? I have something to take care of." The big man nodded, and he began to lead Ienzo away from the infirmary, while Even walked inside.

Xehanort was lying on his side, with his back to the door, and his entire body was shaking with sobs as Even walked up to him and sat down on the bed behind him.

"Xehanort?" he said softly, but the younger man gave no indication that he had heard or even noticed that Even was there. "Xehanort, talk to me. Tell me what happened." This time, he at least got an acknowledgment as Xehanort shook his head. "Xehanort, please. I can't help you if I don't know what happened. Why was Master Ansem so angry?" In response, Xehanort only cried louder, and Even stood up and walked around to the other side of the bed and knelt on the floor so he could look into Xehanort's face.

The newest apprentice's face was battered, bruised, and swollen from where Braig had struck him repeatedly, and tears were pouring out of his brown eyes that were filled with misery

"I'm a whore." Xehanort finally said between sobs "and Master Ansem says I deserved what Braig did." Even was only barely able to keep the shock from his face; why would such a compassionate man say something so cruel, to his favored apprentice no less? Xehanort then dissolved into tears again, and the senior apprentice pushed thoughts of his master aside; Xehanort was more important.

He stood up from the floor and went to speak to the doctor, though he had to pull rank to get her to tell him of all that she had found; the old scars, the calluses, the partially healed tears, as well as a few fresh ones that had been bleeding freely upon Xehanort's arrival in the infirmary the previous night. She then admitted that Xehanort was able to leave the infirmary provided that he rested for a the next few days. With that knowledge in hand, Even returned to Xehanort's bedside, and gently coaxed him into getting out of bed, though such a simple process was not without physical pain. After throwing a robe over his shaking shoulders, Even carefully began to walk him out of the infirmary.

It was a long, slow walk to Xehanort's rooms, and Even thought that maybe he shouldn't have asked Aeleus to leave as the big man could have easily carried Xehanort. Instead they had to contend with stopping frequently so Xehanort could catch his breath and wait for the pain to die down. When they finally reached the door to Xehanort's apartments, they found Braig waiting for them, wearing a smug smirk on his face. Xehanort shrank away from him and hid his face as best he could in Even's hair, while the senior apprentice simply glared at him. Xehanort kept his face hidden as they walked past him into the room, and Even was sure that his grip on his arm was going to leave bruises.

"Slut." Braig hissed, and the younger shuddered, which forced a pained whimper from his mouth.

"Stay away from him, Braig." Even snarled "That is an order." Braig only grinned smugly at them, and Even took great pleasure in slamming the door in his face after he had walked Xehanort into the room.

"Let's get you to bed." he said gently once the door was shut, and Xehanort only nodded wearily without saying anything. The maids had taken care of the bed, so there was no evidence of the previous night's events as Even helped Xehanort out of the hospital gown into his own sleep clothes. Once the younger man was tucked securely in bed under the blankets, Even sat down on the mattress beside him. He concentrated for a moment, calling up the ice magic that he had learned during the early part of his apprenticeship, and cooled his left hand down until it felt like ice itself. It wouldn't hurt his hand any, but it would function just perfectly as an icepack until he could make a permanent one. He then gently placed his hand on the worst of the bruising and swelling on Xehanort's face and was rewarded with a sigh as the throbbing and pain began to melt away.

"Get your rest, Xehanort." he said softly. Xehanort didn't reply, and a few minutes later, he relaxed into the sheets with a soft sigh as he fell asleep.

**OOOOOO**

Even was awoken by the feel of a small hand patting his shoulder. He blearily blinked his eyes open, and a quick glance at his alarm clock showed that it was just after three in the morning. He then looked over to see Ienzo standing by the bed, and he couldn't help but notice that the child looked worried about something.

"What is it, Ienzo?" he asked sleepily as he sat up in bed and rubbed the sand from his eyes.

"Xehanort's crying." the boy said simply, and then he added in a whisper "I think Braig hurt him again."

Even immediately threw the blankets back, stood up, slipped his robe on over his pajamas and padded out of his apartment into the hall. Ienzo followed close behind as they walked the short walk to Xehanort's rooms. They found the door open, and Xehanort's muffled cries could easily be heard. They found the newest apprentice curled up on his bed, crying into a pillow. His night gown was once again hiked up past his waist, and there was some blood, but thankfully, not much.

Even cursed himself for leaving Xehanort alone in his rooms as he approached the bed, especially when the younger shied away from him when he reached out to touch his face.

_Damn you, Braig!_ Even said inwardly _Why must you do this to him?_

"Xehanort." he said softly as he carefully sat down on the bed "Let me help you. I promise that I'm not going to hurt you." Xehanort didn't answer, but he didn't protest when Even gently took the pillow away, and the older apprentice felt a surge of anger when he saw the fresh bruises and swelling on Xehanort's face.

"Ienzo," he said a little sharper than intended "Get Xehanort a fresh set of pajamas from his dresser, then take them to my room and start the water running in the shower. You are to then stay in my rooms until I come back. Understood?" Ienzo nodded and the child did as he was told as Even carefully pulled Xehanort to his feet, which wasn't careful enough if his howls of pain were anything to go by. He then tried to walk him out of the room, but Xehanort had barely taken a single step when he gasped in agony and nearly crumpled to the floor. He clearly was in too much pain to walk. Even wrapped his arms around his shaking form and held him while he tried to figure what to do. He couldn't leave Xehanort in his rooms, but he couldn't carry him and walking him out was not an option. What he needed was -

"Even?" Even looked up to see Dilan standing in the bedroom door "Again?"

Perfect. Dilan could easily carry Xehanort the short distance to Even's own rooms. "Yes, Braig attacked him again. Could you carry him?"

"To the infirmary?"

Even shook his head. "To my rooms. I'll get him cleaned up and back to bed there. Braig won't dare bother him with me in the room."

Dilan nodded in understanding, and the lancer gently scooped Xehanort into his arms and carried him out into the hall and down to Even's rooms, where they found Ienzo, as well as Aeleus, waiting for them. Even and Dilan bundled Xehanort into the shower, scrubbed him down (As gently as possible.) dried him off, dressed him in the pajamas that Ienzo had gotten for him, and then laid him down in Even's bed. Through it all, Xehanort was silent and allowed himself to be taken care of, though he let out a frightened whimper when they went to leave him alone in the bedroom.

Dilan stepped out while Even returned to the bedside. "Xehanort," he said softly, a bit surprised that he was acting so caring towards anyone other than Ienzo "we're not leaving you. We'll be in the next room if you need us, and Braig will have to go through us to get to you." He pulled the blankets up to Xehanort's chin and brushed a few strands of damp hair from his face. "You are safe with me, Xehanort. This I promise you." Xehanort nodded slowly, and Even put him to sleep with a silent sleep spell before he left the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind him, and joined the others in the sitting room. Ienzo was asleep on a couch, but Dilan and Aeleus were wide awake. Even sat down in a chair next to them, in front of his small brick and stone fireplace, and asked the question that had been plaguing him all day.

"What did Braig have to say earlier, Dilan?"

Dilan shook his head again. "He swore that Xehanort had been willing the entire time."

"That was not willing." Aeleus stated firmly, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the bedroom where Xehanort was sleeping "If that was willing, then Xehanort has the largest masochistic streak in Radiant Garden."

Even snorted in derision. "His fear, depression, anxiety, and sadness say that he is not. Now what do we do about it? One of our number has been badly hurt, repeatedly, by another one of our number. Master Ansem refused to do anything about it, which essentially gave Braig carte blanche to do whatever he wants to Xehanort."

"Which means that it falls to us to protect him." Aeleus said firmly "This abuse cannot be allowed to continue, and continue it will, if we do not act."

"The biggest difficulty that I see if keeping Braig away from Xehanort." Dilan added "Braig's rooms are just down the hall, and we all work and study together."

"Hmmm..." Even frowned thoughtfully. Maybe it was time to use his title of Senior Apprentice for something. As long as Master Ansem didn't override him... "Xehanort will stay with me then. I promised him that he was safe with me, so I will let him stay in here until this is resolved. Dilan, I'm going to have to ask you to test you patience and be Braig's lab partner." Previously Xehanort had been Braig's lab partner, and now Even had a pretty good suspicion that it hadn't been just studying and lab work that the pair had been doing. "I know that you want to reduce him to a bloody smear for what he's done, but we can't retaliate against him in any way. Doing so may cause Master Ansem to do something that Xehanort ultimately will regret. Aeleus, you can work with Ienzo from here on out, which will leave Xehanort to work with me. It that acceptable to you two?"

Dilan and Aeleus nodded in agreement. "Shall we go back to bed then?" Aeleus asked.

"Let's." Even replied as he stood up from his chair "Dilan, would you mind taking Ienzo back to his room? I would do it myself, but I don't want to leave Xehanort alone for an instant tonight."

"Of course, Even." Aeleus walked to the door and held it open so Dilan could carry the sleeping Ienzo out into the hallway, and once the lancer had gone, he looked back to Even, who was still standing by the fireplace, leaning on the mantlepiece.

"You know that you, Dilan, or myself will always have to be with Xehanort?" he said gravely "Braig won't give up on his favorite toy so easily. We won't be able to leave Xehanort alone at all."

"I know." Even said quietly "Even if we manage to keep Xehanort safe for months, the second we drop our guard, Braig will go after him again."

"What will we do then?"

"I do not know."

"We cannot allow Braig to lay his hands on Xehanort again."

"No, we cannot."

"But we cannot protect him forever either."

Even didn't say anything. The blond simply looked at Aeleus, and after a long moment, the red head nodded and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Even sighed heavily and walked back into the darkened bedroom. From the faint light of the city below that was coming through the large windows, he could see Xehanort sleeping peacefully in the middle of the large bed and hear his quiet breathing. He watched the younger sleep for a moment before a jaw cracking yawn reminded him that he had to be up soon. Grabbing a spare blanket and pillow from the closet as well as his alarm clock from the bedside table, he went back out into the living room, leaving the bedroom door open, and made himself a bed on the couch that Ienzo had recently vacated. It wasn't as near as comfortable as the actual bed, but it would do.

He was roused by the shrill ringing of his alarm clock barely an hour later. He reached out and awkwardly slammed his hand down on the button to shut the alarm off and, despite how tempted he was to go back to sleep, he dragged himself out of his makeshift bed and walked into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

Xehanort was still asleep, and in the gray light of the early dawn, the bruises and swelling on his face looked much worse than they had the night before. His right eye was nearly swollen shut, his nose was so badly swollen that he likely couldn't breathe out of it at all, and he had a large lump on the right side of his jaw. Even made a mental note to make him a never melt icepack as soon as possible as he pulled his black pants, white dress shirt, gray vest, and purple ascot from his dresser drawers and walked into the bathroom. Normally he took his time in the shower, luxuriating in the feel of the hot spray, but this time he rushed through, and afterward he hastily wrapped his wet hair in a towel and dried himself off before getting dressed.

As he tied his ascot around his neck with practiced ease – he'd been wearing them since the age of twelve – he cast his thoughts to Xehanort and Braig. Braig had told Dilan that Xehanort had been willing, yet Xehanort's behavior suggested otherwise. No willing participant in such activity acted so frightened. Yet, what if... Even frowned as a possibility occurred to him. What if Xehanort had been willing at one time and then changed his mind? But why would anyone allow such a thing to be done to them, and why did he change his mind, if, in fact, that was the case?

It seemed like Xehanort had some explaining to do.

With a sigh of resignation – he was sure that he was not going to like the upcoming conversation – Even finished brushing his hair out and walked back into the bedroom.

Xehanort hadn't stirred, and the brightening light in the room allowed Even to see the dark circles around his unbruised left eye as well as how thin and sunk in his face looked overall, despite the swelling. How had none of them noticed that Xehanort was looking so ill? Even was loathe to wake him, since he so obviously needed the rest, but they needed to talk, and he really didn't want to just leave the room without telling him that he was going first. He knew that Dilan would attach himself to Braig at the first opportunity and never leave him alone, so hopefully Xehanort would be safe while they were in the lab.

Hopefully...

"Xehanort." he called softly as he gently shook the younger apprentice's shoulder "It's time to wake up." Xehanort only whined and buried his face in the pillow, so Even gently shook him and called him again. The younger grumbled something and one brown eye cracked open and looked up at him.

"Even? Why are you in my room? Am I late?" His one eye widened, while the other barely moved due to how badly swollen it was. "I am late, aren't I?" Xehanort bolted upright in bed, but whatever he had been about to do or say was interrupted by an agonized cry as the sudden movement aggravated his injuries.

"Easy, Xehanort." Even said as he carefully sat down on the bed and wrapped one arm around his shaking shoulders in support. "You're not late. You've been excused from the labs for a few days."

Xehanort's mind seemed to catch up with him then. "Oh." he said quietly while his face crumpled. He looked as though he was trying his hardest not to cry. Even pulled him close, offering silent comfort, and after a moment, Xehanort spoke.

"You want to know what happened between me and Braig." he said quietly.

Even nodded. "It would help if I knew the entire story."

Xehanort shuddered, and after a brief hesitation, he reluctantly repeated his story, the same one that he had told Ansem the previous day. Even listened silently as the words poured from Xehanort's mouth, and he could clearly hear the undercurrent of fear in the younger man's voice. The senior apprentice knew why; he had related his story once already and had been rejected by the man that had for all intents and purposes adopted him as a son. If the master had rejected him, there was no reason to believe that the master's oldest protege wouldn't do the same.

Even owed Ansem much; he would be the first to admit it. He had been twelve when he had been taken to live at the castle, to get him away from a family that put entirely too much pressure on him to succeed. He had been a depressed, exhausted, emotionally stunted wreck that had run himself into the ground trying to meet his parents and grandparents' impossible standards when Ansem had taken him in. It had taken him months to relax (Much of which was credited to the then nine year old Dilan, who had also been removed from his family two years prior.) and even now, fifteen years later, he still had difficulty connecting with other people. It was why he had been asked to look after Ienzo, Ansem had hoped that raising a child would help him related to other people better. It had succeeded to some degree; Even loved Ienzo like he was his own son, but other people still gave him fits.

Now as Xehanort finished his tale and fell silent, shivering in fearful anticipation, Even realized (While silently kicking himself for not doing so sooner.) that Xehanort was a child in many ways. He was physically grown, but his life experiences and available memories only added up to two years, leaving him a bit immature at times and woefully naïve at others. He had no idea that he had been taken advantage of, no idea that he had been the victim of repeated rape. Ansem's reaction had not helped matters either, leaving Xehanort to believe that it was all his fault.

A knock at the door to his sitting room interrupted Even's thoughts. Xehanort let out a frightened whimper, and Even gently hugged him in reassurance before he stood up from the bed and walked out of the room to answer the door. He opened it to see Braig's smug grin as the marksman stood in the hallway.

"What are you doing here, Braig?" Even said, careful to keep his voice down.

"I'm here to meet my lab partner." Braig replied with another grin, though this one seemed a bit more... lecherous, which left no doubt in Even's mind what he planned to do if given the chance.

Too bad Even wasn't going to give him that chance. "Lab partners have been switched, and you're working with Dilan now. I told you last night to stay away from Xehanort, Braig, and I meant every word. You are not to speak to him or touch him in any way."

"I wonder what Master Ansem would say about this?" Braig said thoughtfully, his single yellow eye alight with lust.

"I don't need his permission to change the lab partners around!" Even snapped, fed up with Braig's attitude "And if you say a word to him about it, I'll have you cleaning out the prison cells – the _occupied_ ones – for the next year! Now, stay away from Xehanort!" Being the senior apprentice did have its perks, including the rights to discipline the others, though this was the first time Even had ever threatened to do, well other than the occasional scoldings and groundings for Ienzo on the rare occasions that the boy acted like a normal child.

Braig tried to push past him into the room, which forced Even to brace himself against the door frame. "C'mon Even, I just want to see him!"

"Leave Braig!" Even snarled and a blast of frigid air threw the marksman across the hallway to land in a heap at the base of the opposite wall. At that moment, Dilan appeared, and he gave Even an apologetic look before he hauled Braig to his feet and dragged him down the hallway and out of sight. No sooner had they gone than Aeleus and Ienzo showed up.

"I'm not going down to the labs." Even told them quietly "I'm staying with Xehanort until he's well enough to return. I don't think it's safe to leave him alone at all right now."

Aeleus nodded. "Would you like me to have breakfast sent up for you two?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you. Having lunch sent up would be even more so. I want the three of you to meet here for dinner, as having the four of us here would probably make Xehanort feel safer." Aeleus nodded again and led Ienzo away to the labs to begin the day's work, while Even went back to the bedroom as he wished, and not for the first time, that the apartment doors had locks on them.

When he walked through the bedroom door, he found Xehanort sitting curled up in a ball of misery in the middle of the bed, arms wrapped around his legs with his head down on his knees, crying. He had obviously heard the confrontation at the door. Even sat down on the bed and held his arms out, and Xehanort hesitated only for a moment before he crawled into the offered embrace.

"You have nothing to fear, Xehanort." Even said soothingly as he gently rocked the younger apprentice and stroked his hair "Dilan, Aeleus, and I will protect you, and Braig will never touch you again."

"You're... you're not angry with me? You're not going to call me a whore?" Xehanort asked in a tiny voice, and Even suddenly wanted to go beat some sense into his master for the way he had treated his once favored apprentice, but he had to settle for trying to comfort the distraught person sitting on the bed next to him.

"No, Xehanort. I'm not going to do what Master Ansem did. You're not at fault for what Braig did to you. He took advantage of you and hurt you, and he will never do it again as long as I draw breath."

"It's not my fault?"

"No, it's not. All you did was make a bad decision, a decision that Braig should have never asked you to make to begin with. He is to blame, not you." Xehanort looked into Even's green eyes for a long moment, as if he was searching for any hint of deception, and upon finding none, dissolved into a fresh wave of tears and laid his head on the elder's shoulder. Even allowed him to cry himself out, and after several minutes, Xehanort sat up, sniffling a bit still, and mopped at his face with his pajama sleeve just as a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Go wash your face." Even instructed quietly, and he helped Xehanort stand up and walk into the bathroom before he went to answer the door. This time, it was a servant bearing a serving cart with breakfast, which was laid out on the small dining table in the kitchenette. Once the servant had gone and the door was firmly closed behind him, Even took the time to make that ice pack, which he then set aside for later. Xehanort came out of the bedroom then, gingerly patting his battered face dry.

"You're not going to the labs?" he asked quietly as Even beckoned him to sit down at the table, which he did, very carefully, though he still hissed in pain between his teeth.

"No," Even replied as he sat down as well and began to fill his plate "I'm going to stay with you until you can return to work, and then you and I will work together from now on."

"Why?" Xehanort had filled his own plate, but he only stared down at it and pushed his food around with his fork.

Even took a big gulp of his coffee, just the thing he needed after the events of the previous night. "Because you don't deserve to be hurt that way. No one does, and if Master Ansem will not protect you, then I will. Now if you do not eat your food instead of playing with it, I will sit you on my lap and spoon feed you like a baby."

Xehanort looked up in shock at that last statement. "You wouldn't!"

Even took another drink from his mug and unfolded the newspaper that had been delivered along with the meal. "I would, and I have. Just ask Ienzo the next time you see him. Now eat, or else."

Xehanort took a bite of his scrambled eggs. "Happy now?"

Even looked over the paper for a brief moment and then turned a page. "Not until that plate is clear. You are underweight, and that cannot stand."

Xehanort _Hmphed_! but did as he was told, and for a while the only sounds in the room were those of forks clinking against the plates and the rustling of Even's newspaper. After several minutes, a yawn from the younger made Even look up to see Xehanort nodding his head as he tried to stay awake, and a quick glance at his plate showed that he had eaten most of what he had put on it. He really needed to eat more, but he was clearly exhausted, so food could wait; he needed to sleep.

"Come Xehanort." Even said gently as he stood up from the table and carefully pulled Xehanort to his feet "Let's get you back to bed."

Xehanort didn't protest as he was walked back into the bedroom and tucked into bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow, and Even silently repeated his promise to keep the younger safe as he quietly left the room and fetched the ice pack after wrapping it in a small hand towel. Manipulated the magic that he had used to make it, he molded it to fit over Xehanort's face, so all of the swelling was being touched. He would leave it there for a short while and give it a chance to bring the swelling down a bit before removing it. He then left the room, quietly shut the door, and settled himself into his favorite window seat with a book and waited for time to pass.

Xehanort slept most of the day. Even woke him briefly for lunch, but then he went right back to sleep after eating, which made the elder wonder how long it had been since he had last had a full night's sleep. In the mid afternoon, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo returned from the labs, and the four of them spent a quiet two hours until dinner time reading books and discussing their latest research. Just before seven in the evening, Xehanort wandered into the sitting room, still looking very tired and groggy, but Even was pleased to note that the swelling and bruising on his face had begun to go down. Promptly at seven, a servant appeared with dinner for the five of them, and Even had to threaten Xehanort will a lap feeding again.

"He'll do it too, Xehanort." Ienzo stated emphatically, his cheeks stained red with embarrassment "So you had better eat like he says." Dilan and Aeleus chuckled with amusement, and Xehanort conceded defeat and began to eat. He cleared his plate like he'd been told, and then he began to talk about going back to his own rooms so he could go back to bed.

"You're staying here for now, Xehanort." Even said "It's not safe for you to be alone, so until it is, you're going to stay with me."

"But I don't want to intrude..."

"You're not intruding. I'll do whatever needs to be done to keep Braig away from you, and that includes letting you stay here. Now why don't you go take a shower and get ready for bed?"

Aeleus tossed his napkin down on his empty plate and stood up from the table. "I'll get your things from your room for you, Xehanort." He then walked out of the room as Xehanort stammered his thanks. In short order, Xehanort was bathed, dressed in clean pajamas, and tucked back into bed. Even fussed over him like he did Ienzo, smoothing out the blankets, brushing his hair out of his face, replacing the ice pack, and asking him if he needed anything.

"I'll be in the other room if you need me, alright?" he said as he sat on the bed "Come get me if you need anything, I don't care how small it is or if I'm sound asleep." He stood up and began to walk out of the room.

"Even?" Xehanort mumbled, well on his way to dreamland already.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Even smiled gently, even though he knew that Xehanort couldn't see it. "You're welcome, Xehanort."

**OOOOOO**

Even was surprised that, during the course of the next several days, Master Ansem never demanded an explanation of why he had switched the lab partners around. Nor did he ever say anything about Xehanort not staying in his own rooms. Maybe no one had told him. Maybe Even's threat to Braig had been enough to make him keep quiet.

Xehanort returned to the lab three days after his release from the infirmary, and he kept himself glued to Even's side whenever Braig was near. Just being in the same room as the sharpshooter made him shake in fear, a fact that Braig ruthlessly exploited while still staying within the boundaries that Even had set down. He didn't speak to Xehanort or attempt to touch him in anyway, but he went out of his way to walk close to him, and sent him leers and lecherous grins whenever their eyes met.

"It will be alright, Xehanort." Even told him quietly one day as they cleaned up their work station "We won't let him touch you." Xehanort gave a small nod to show that he heard, but the look in his eyes made it clear that he didn't entirely believe what had been said. Once they were finished in the lab, they washed up for dinner, and, in what had become the norm during the previous couple of weeks, Xehanort sat himself between Even and Aeleus at the table, while Ienzo sat on Even's other side, and Dilan sat across from Even, leaving Braig to sit between Dilan and Ansem. The seven almost always took their meals together, and while Xehanort, Even, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo chatted away about books that they had read, events in town, their work in the lab, and many other things, Ansem and Braig had only each other to speak to. If one of them tried to speak to the other five, whatever they said was acknowledged and then dismissed.

Finally, Master Ansem had had enough.

He slammed his cutlery down on the table and stood up from his chair. "What is the meaning of this... disrespect!" he demanded. The conversation between the five came to a halt, and they all turned their heads to look at their master in unison. None of them said anything, and Even felt his lip curl in disgust. The so called Ansem the Wise had no idea why five of his apprentices were shutting him out, when it should have been obvious.

"Well?" Master Ansem demanded again.

"You support that.. rapist." Even stated evenly, pointing at Braig, whose single eye flashed with sudden anger "We do not. Until you acknowledge that Xehanort is a victim here, we have nothing to say to you or Braig."

Master Ansem's normally genial face twisted in anger. "How dare you! Braig had been with you since you were all children, and you dare to accuse him of such a thing!"

"It is not an accusation if it is true." Dilan said firmly, and Even saw Xehanort begin to shake slightly out of the corner of his eye.

"So you would rather stand by and believe that whore's-" Ansem – Even couldn't in good conscience think of him as Master Ansem anymore – pointed directly at Xehanort, and the younger man flinched back in his chair as if he had been physically struck " - lies than support the man that you grew up with?"

"They are not lies." Aeleus spoke up "I have every confidence that Xehanort is telling the truth, and the sooner that you realize that and lock Braig up in the prisons where he belongs, the better off we will all be."

"I guess I was mistaken in taking Xehanort in, then." Ansem said in a low tone "If this is what my good deed has gotten me; disrespect and a whore spreading lies to cover up his promiscuity."

Even heard a choked sob, and Xehanort's chair crashed to the floor as he leapt up from the table and fled the room in tears. Even calmly patted his lips with his napkin, tossed it down on his plate, and then stood up from his chair and began to walk out of the room to follow Xehanort.

"Even, I did not dismiss you from the table." Ansem said dangerously, but Even didn't acknowledge that he had heard; he simply walked out. Behind him he heard three other chairs being scooted back from the table as Aeleus, Dilan, and Ienzo also left the table to follow him. They caught up with him in the corridor, and the group split up to search for Xehanort, with Ienzo accompanying Even.

They found him in one of the unused wings of the castle. It had once housed servants during Ansem's grandfather's time, but Ansem's father had cut back on the castle staff and plowed the time, money, and labor saved back into the towns that surrounded it. They were easily able to follow his footprints in the thick dust to a room that was empty save a few rickety chairs, where they found him on his hands and knees in the middle of the floor, heaving up what little dinner that he had been able to eat. They knelt down beside him, and Ienzo placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, while Even held his hair out of the way and rubbed his back until the heaves had ended. Then without a word, Even pulled him back away from the mess until they were sitting on the floor next to each other, and like he had that morning in his bedroom, he wrapped his arms around Xehanort's shaking form and gently rocked him. Xehanort cried into his shoulder, clinging to the material of Even's shirt in a white knuckled grip, as if he was afraid that Even would vanish if he let go of him.

"It will be alright, Xehanort." Even murmured soothingly, but the younger man gave no indication that he had heard. Once his cries had tapered off into sniffles and hiccups, Even stood him up and began to walk him back to their room, with Ienzo holding Xehanort's free hand.

Later, as he was putting Xehanort to bed, the first thoughts of leaving began to flutter into his mind. The blond frowned; leave Radiant Garden, the only home he had ever known, that _any_ of them had ever known? Where would they go? How would they get there? Even had known for years that there were other worlds out there, but he hadn't the slightest idea on how one would go about traveling to a different one. Besides, if things became unbearable in the castle, they could simply leave it and move back into town. They could end their apprenticeships at any time if need be, though Even admitted to himself that he really didn't want to do that if at all possible. But if it came down to a choice of keeping the position that he had held since the age of 12 or taking Xehanort somewhere where he didn't have to worry about Braig's intentions or Ansem's anger, then dropping the apprenticeship easily won out.

Xehanort whimpered softly in his sleep, and Even spent a moment soothing him as he wondered how he had become so protective of the younger apprentice in such a short time. Maybe it had something to do with his realization that Xehanort was still a child in many ways, or maybe it was because it could have been any of them in his position. If Even had been repeatedly used and abused by someone that he had once trusted, he liked to think that one of the others would have been there for him like he was there for Xehanort.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Even gently brushed a few stray strands of Xehanort's hair out of his face, and then he got up to see who was knocking. Opening the door, he found Dilan and Aeleus waiting on the other side, so he let them in, and they sat down around the fireplace as had become their habit since Xehanort's release from the infirmary. Ienzo curled up on the couch next to Even and said in a quiet voice:

"I don't want to eat with Ansem and Braig anymore, Even, not until they stop saying such cruel things about Xehanort."

"We're not going to, Ienzo." Even looked up at Aeleus and Dilan, who nodded in agreement "We'll either eat in here or we'll go out." They drew wages as apprentices for their work (Though Ienzo's was closer to an allowance than a wage.) but since their room and board was provided, they didn't spend all that much, which meant that they could easily afford to eat out for every meal if they wished.

They talked about their work in the lab for a while longer, but their hearts weren't in the conversation after the events in the dining room, so Even asked Dilan to stay with Xehanort while he put Ienzo to bed. Looking after Xehanort demanded a great deal of the senior apprentice's attention, but he still made time to spend with the boy that was his son in all but blood. The child had been quite distressed at the treatment that Xehanort had been receiving from Ansem and Braig, as it showed a side of the normally benevolent ruler and cheery marksman that he had never seen before. It didn't help that things in the castle had become noticeably tense in the past two weeks; one couldn't help but notice it, and many were wondering when the pressure would finally explode.

"Even," Ienzo asked after he was in bed "Can't we just... take Xehanort and go somewhere else?"

Lords, even the child was thinking about leaving. "I do not know, Ienzo. I have thought about it myself, but I don't know where we would go or how we would get there."

"Xehanort is hurting so much."

"I know, child."

"Is there any way to make him feel better?"

"Only time has a chance of easing that kind of hurt." _And getting him away from his abuser and the abuser's enabler. _Even added silently. Granted, Ansem had not known what Braig had been doing, but his refusal to see that the sharpshooter was in the wrong once he found out essentially gave him permission to do whatever he wanted, and Even knew with a certainty that if given the chance, Braig would pounce on Xehanort the instant the opportunity presented itself. Xehanort would never be safe as long and he – or Braig – remained in Radiant Garden, and they all knew it.

Once Ienzo was asleep, Even returned to his own rooms, and Dilan told him that Xehanort was sleeping peacefully before the lancer left to seek his own bed. Aeleus had already gone to his own rooms, so Even readied for bed himself before he climbed into the twin sized bed that the castle staff had moved into his bedroom on his request. It allowed Xehanort to use the larger bed, which was necessary as his sleep was often restless, and on a few occasion he had nearly fallen out. Even on the other hand, didn't move much in his sleep, so he could make do with a smaller bed just fine.

In the morning, the five had breakfast at Even's small dining table, and they had lunch in their break room aside the lab, though they were careful to keep at least two of them between Xehanort and Braig at all times. For dinner they went out to a nice restaurant that was a favorite of Dilan's, and as they were sitting at their table on the terrace with menus in hand, it was then that they began to hear the whispers.

"... there he is..."

"... heard he was up to no good..."

"... spreading lies about one of Lord Ansem's apprentices..."

"...spreads his legs for 'em..."

Xehanort paled, and Even gripped his menu so tightly that he nearly tore holes through it. Dilan and Aeleus were in a similar state, while Ienzo looked upset about the things that were being said.

"... heard he's sleeping with the Senior Apprentice now..."

"... looking to get a promotion that way..."

Even stood up from his chair and glared at the other patrons of the restaurant. "I would think that most of you would have the sense to not believe everything you hear." he said firmly, tapping his foot impatiently against the paving stones that made up the terrace.

Most of the people lowered their eyes, but one or two met his gaze. "I heard it from Braig's own mouth." one of them said "He said that that man -" He pointed at Xehanort, who cringed. "- slept around and when he was caught, he cried rape."

_Braig is going to be scrubbing prison cells for years._ Even thought to himself as he glared at the man that had spoken. "Braig is a liar, and he's going to be in a world of trouble when I find him. Xehanort did no such thing. He is the victim here, and I will hear no more of these nasty, utterly false rumors. The next person that I hear speaking of them will deal with me.' The air temperature around Even dropped, and water in nearby glasses began to freeze over. "Am I understood?" The crowd fell silent, and there were several nods. Even nodded in satisfaction and sat back down.

Xehanort was looking down at the table. "I'm sorry, Even." he said quietly.

"Whatever for?"

"It's my fault. If it wasn't for me -"

"That is enough, Xehanort. None of this is your fault, and I won't have you blaming yourself."

"But -"

"Xehanort." Aeleus said gently "This is not your fault. All of it can be landed on Braig for running his mouth."

"But now everyone thinks that Even is... and that we're..."

"But I am not, and we're aren't." Even stated firmly.

"But -"

"That is enough, Xehanort." Dilan said quietly as he gave the younger a gentle squeeze on the shoulder "We know the truth, and that is the important thing."

"If it means keeping you safe from Braig, then I will gladly take the rumors." Even added, and then he reached over and lightly tapped the menu that Xehanort had laid on the table. "Now let's get something to eat." Xehanort nodded timidly and picked his menu up, and Even cursed a streak in his mind. Before Braig began to take advantage of him, Xehanort had been confident and strong, and his intelligence had made Even feel like an idiot child at times. Now he was reduced to a frightened shadow of his former self, and Even wanted to put Braig through the most horrid tortures imaginable for causing such a change.

After they had eaten (Even had to threaten Xehanort with a lap feeding again to get him to eat.) they walked back to the castle, and encountered Braig on the way. The sharpshooter was leaning against a streetlight, arms folded over his chest, and he grinned at Xehanort as they approached. The other's closed ranks around the newest apprentice, and Ienzo gave the one eyed man a world class sneer as they walked past.

Once they were back in their rooms, Xehanort looked down at the floor as he shuffled his feet and said softly: "Maybe I should go back to my own rooms, Even."

Even wasn't sure that he had heard right. "Why?"

"So people won't think that we're doing anything."

"You know what Braig will do as soon as he finds you alone."

"I don't mind. I don't want you to be tarnished by the same brush as me."

"Well, I do mind." Xehanort looked up at him then. "I don't care what the idiots in town say. If it means keeping Braig away from you, then I'll put up with whatever they say or do." He walked up to Xehanort and pulled him into a hug. "Braig is spreading these rumors to try and get you to separate yourself from the rest of us. He's frustrated and angry that we won't let him get to you, so he's doing this to make you leave our protection, so he can hurt you again."

Xehanort shuddered, and Even heard a sniffle. "I can't take this anymore, Even. You've been so good to me, but Master Ansem hates me, and now everyone knows that I'm a whore -"

"You are not a whore, Xehanort, you are a rape victim."

"But I let him do that to me!"

Even walked them over to the bed, sat down, and pulled Xehanort down beside him. "You did, at first, but then you started to refuse. How many times did you tell him no? How many times did he ignore your refusal and do what he wanted anyway? He said he was going to tell you things about yourself that you couldn't remember, but how much information did he really give you? He told you that you were a master swordsman, but even I could tell that from watching you during sparring practice. You seemed out of practice, but it's obvious that you know what you're doing and that you're miles ahead of the rest of us in that regard. He told you that you have no family left, but we figured as much since no one here recognized you when we showed your picture around town, hoping that someone would claim you as theirs. He told you that your homeworld was destroyed and is now a barren wasteland. If your homeworld is such a wasteland that it's considered destroyed, how then could you be from there? People don't live in wastelands that cannot support life, child. If they had left, why did only you end up here? Where are the rest of them?" Even pulled Xehanort closer as the younger began to cry. "He told you that you were a whore, which is an absolute lie because whores are willing. You were not. He told you that no one would care if we found out. That too is a lie, because we do care, Xehanort; we care very much, and we don't want to see you hurt anymore." Even heard the bedroom door open, and he looked up to see Ienzo, dressed in his pajamas, wander into the room. The child climbed up onto the bed on Xehanort's other side and wrapped his arms around him.

"Don't cry, Xehanort." he said quietly "We love you."

Xehanort managed a watery laugh, and one of his hands came down to lightly rest on top of Ienzo's head. "I'm... very glad to hear that, Ienzo."

Even and Ienzo sat with Xehanort and held him until his tears came to a stop, and Even noted that the younger man had been crying quite a lot recently, though that was to be expected with the ordeal that he was going though. Abused by someone he had trusted, rejected by his surrogate father, and now the townspeople were believing lies about him, it was no surprise that Xehanort was so quick to tears.

Once Xehanort was in bed asleep, Even decided that since he could risk leaving the room to take Ienzo back to bed, then he could simply just stay overnight. (It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. Sometimes, Ienzo was a child in every sense of the word, and that included climbing into Even's bed in the middle of the night when he was frightened by a bad dream or wasn't feeling well.) As he tucked the child into the smaller bed, Ienzo wrinkled his nose in thought (A habit that the boy was trying hard to break himself of.) and said:

"We need to leave here soon, Even."

"Why do you say that?" Even had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear Ienzo's thoughts on the matter.

Ienzo rolled his eyes at the question. "Xehanort won't be able to deal with this much longer. He might... do something bad if he doesn't get away from here."

Even was in complete agreement. It was a fear that was always at the back of his mind; either Xehanort would try to harm himself, or his guilt and shame would drive him back to Braig, so the abuse could continue. "I know, and we'll discuss it with Aeleus and Dilan tomorrow over dinner."

Ienzo nodded in understanding, and Even patted the blanket around his shoulders before he left the room to go sleep on the couch again.

The following day, as they ate dinner around Even's table again, leaving Radiant Garden was brought up and discussed. Xehanort, of course, was shocked at the mere thought.

"But _why_?" he asked "Why would you even think of that?"

"Because this can't keep gong the way it has been." Dilan answered "This place is no longer safe for you, and with Braig running his mouth, things are becoming inhospitable for the rest of us as well."

"But this is our home!"

"It doesn't matter where we are at." Ienzo stated firmly "As long as we're together, then any place is home."

"Because home is where your family is at." Aeleus added as he smiled at Ienzo, who returned it "And we are a family."

"Quite possibly the strangest family ever to exist," Even said as he idly stirred his tea "but we are a family alright." There was a round of soft laughter around the table; even Xehanort laughed, something that Even was thrilled to see. Positive emotion from Xehanort had been a rarity since his release from the infirmary.

Of course, there was still the issue of how they were going to leave since none of them knew anything on interworld travel, and it was a subject that Even's thoughts kept coming back to over the next several days. Despite his words at the restaurant, rumors continued to spread around town about Xehanort, each one worse than the last. Ansem did nothing to suppress the rumors, which many took as confirmation of their truth, so within two weeks of their meal at the restaurant, Xehanort faced open hostility whenever he left the castle. Even's own parents, whom he'd had little contact with since Ansem had taken him in, wrote him a letter urging him to distance himself from "that monster that's taking advantage of you." Enraged, Even had torn the letter to shreds, and leaving Xehanort under Aeleus' watchful eye, strode angrily through town to their house and proceeded to tear them apart with the sharp edge of his tongue. No, Xehanort was not doing anything to him, no Xehanort was not the promiscuous slut that rumors made him out to be, and no, he was not going to abandon Xehanort during a time when he needed his family most! Leaving his parents (His grandparents had been gone for years.) in stunned silence, Even had returned to the castle, and had secured himself in a quiet corner of the library to think.

Ienzo's parents had died when he was only four, and he had no other family left. Aeleus was also an orphan, though he had been sixteen when they had died, and he had already been living at the castle for a few years when they passed. Dilan's parents were still alive, but he had no contact with them at all. He had been removed from their house at the age of seven, because they were barely functioning alcoholics that allowed their only child to starve and run around in clothes that were little more than rags, so they could keep themselves in drink. Even wouldn't miss his family if someone paid him to, and of course, Xehanort had no family that they knew of, at least not on Radiant Garden. Ansem was against Xehanort, which meant by extension, he was against the four of them as well, and Braig did not bear mentioning. The townspeople were hostile, and Even knew it was only a matter of time until the hostility turned violent. The five of them had to get out, as quickly as possible, and they had nothing and no one holding them there.

Of course, there was _still _the problem of exactly _how_ they were going to leave.

After several more days, an unexpected solution presented itself. Ansem received a visitor from another world, a king. Even tried to ignore the fact that the king was a three foot town humanoid mouse, but he – Mickey, he said his name was – was clearly intelligent and what's more, he was a Keyblade Master. Even had read about the keyblades, but he had never seen one before. He met the king briefly when he went to Ansem's study to inquire about an experiment. Xehanort, as always, hovered behind him like a timid shadow, and Even noticed the strange look that the king gave the white haired man, like he knew him somehow. Ansem didn't notice it, and neither did Xehanort, so Even opted to keep it to himself for the time being.

It was later, when he was called to escort the king back to his ship so he could return home, that Even realized that this mouse could be their ticket out. Xehanort was with Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo, so he stopped on his path to the castle's front door, and the mouse looked at him in bemusement.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked in that odd voice of his.

"Your Majesty." Even said quietly "Before you leave, me I speak to you privately?"

"Certainly. Lead the way."

Even lead the King to Xehanort's unused rooms, and, once they were seated, cut straight to the chase. "You know Xehanort, don't you."

The mouse looked down at the floor, looking saddened. "I do, or rather, I did." he replied quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"It is a long and rather complicated story."

"I've got time, Your Majesty. This is very important; I need to know."

The king sighed. "I understand. Brace yourself." And then he began his tale. Even listened with horrified fascination as he learned of Terra and Master Xehanort, the possession that left Master Xehanort's heart in control of Terra's body, and how Xehanort had woken up, without his memories.

"I imagine that one of them used a keyblade to seal their hearts away." Mickey stated "Which would lock them both out of control of Terra's body, seal their memories away, and allow the third personality, the one you know as Xehanort, to emerge and develop. If one of them were ever to regain control, the Xehanort you know would be lost, and the original personality of whichever one was freed would return."

"Could that happen?" Even asked urgently. Master Xehanort regaining control would be a disaster for all of them, and while Terra wouldn't be so bad, he didn't want to lose the Xehanort that was partway between and brother and a son for him.

"It could." the king said "It could happen gradually over time, or someone could unlock the hearts, but since there are so few keyblade wielders left, that is unlikely." On the wall a clocked chimed, which made Even jump. "I must return home, but there is one more thing that you should know. It is about Braig."

"Braig?" Even looked sharply at the mouse seated across from him. "What about him?"

The mouse spoke then of how Master Xehanort had been aided in his scheme to steal Terra's body by Braig, and how, even now, he was sure that Braig was just biding him time, waiting for Master Xehanort to wake up so they could pick up on their plan to start the Keyblade War over again, where they left off.

Even slumped down in his chair, shocked. Did that explain why... ?

"Even?"

"Your Majesty, what I am about to tell you goes no further than the two of us."

"Agreed."

"Braig abused Xehanort... sexually, for several months." The mouse gasped in shock. "Ansem discovered them, but he refuses to believe that Xehanort was the victim and has sided with Braig on the matter. The other apprentices and myself side with Xehanort, and we have been doing our best to protect him since then, but things have become very difficult for us. Without Ansem's support, most of the townspeople are actively hostile to Xehanort, with many of them believing that he is abusing us. Xehanort is quite upset over the entire mess, and he blames himself for all of it, even though we have told him multiple times that it is not his fault. Could... could such abuse.. awaken one of the hearts? Or both of them?"

The king shook off his shock. "It is.. possible, if Xehanort were to feel enough bitterness, anger, and guilt, it could possibly break the seal on the hearts. Since Master Xehanort used the darkness in Terra's heart to take control, the darkness in Xehanort from all the negative emotions would easily allow him to take over. If Xehanort felt as though he was seriously threatened, it might also break the seal. "

"That's what Braig is doing." Even whispered to himself "He's trying to awaken Master Xehanort, and if he gets a free sex toy out of it so much the better for him." He shook himself and looked beseechingly at the king. "Your Majesty, can you get us out of here? Can you take us to another world, where Xehanort will be safe?"

"I can, and I will. How soon can you be ready to leave?"

Even thought about it for a moment. As much as he wanted to leave now, he knew that they couldn't. Ansem would try to stop them if he saw them trying to leave, and they were in no way ready to go. "We will need a few days, at least."

"Can you hold on for another week then? That will give you time to pack, and put your affairs in order."

Even nodded. "Yes, I believe that will work just fine."

The king nodded. "I will return then in seven days to take you to another world."

Even sighed in relief as a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We will be in your debt."

The mouse waved that off. "Master Xehanort was a monster, but Terra was a good man, despite the darkness in his heart, and your Xehanort is innocent and deserves to be safe." He stood up from his chair, and Even followed suit. "I will return in a week."

That night, as they shared dinner around Even's table again, Even related how the king had offered to take them to another world in a week's time. He kept the part about Terra and Master Xehanort to himself. No one needed to know that information unless it became apparent that the elderly Keyblade Master was on the verge of regaining control. Ienzo actually cheered at the news, and everyone, especially Xehanort, looked relieved that they were going to be leaving.

"Be discreet about packing." Even warned "We don't want to tip our hand. Pack only what you need and a few personal things. We can always replace the rest later."

"I guess that means you have to leave your books behind then." Aeleus said with a grin, and Even sighed as he cast his eyes over his personal library, which was second only Ansem's in size.

"I'll manage." he said finally "Getting Xehanort to a safe place is more important than books." Dilan proceeded to fake a heart attack at those words, which resulted in him getting Even's napkin slung at his face, which caused the rest of the table to break into laughter. Finally, they had a solution.

**OOOOOO**

The five apprentices carried on like normal for the next week, though Even noticed that everyone was much more relaxed. Even Xehanort's restless sleep finally calmed and settled. The king somehow managed to send a letter directly to Even (Magic must have been involved, he told himself.) stating that he would arrive at the castle at midnight on the seventh day. Even passed the word around, and on the night of the seventh day, he left Xehanort in the care of Aeleus and Dilan, as they waited along with Ienzo for time to pass, and went for a walk around the darkened castle that had been his home for so long, to say goodbye.

_It's just bricks, and mortar, and stone. h_e told himself as he walked the halls, listening to the sound of his booted feet against the polished stone floor, but he knew he would miss it anyway. Finally, he walked into the dark and silent library, and lightly ran his fingers over the spines of the books, many of which had been his closest friends when growing up. Now he would never -

A hand fisted tightly in his hair, and his head was slammed face first into the bookshelf in front of him. Before he could even begin to contemplate what had just happened, he was yanked backwards and thrown down on his back onto one of the writing desks that littered the room.

"What?" he managed to stutter out as someone grabbed him by the head and slammed it twice against the hard wooden surface of the desk top. Pain exploded in his skull, and Even moaned as the room tilted crazily around him, and Braig's face, crazed with anger, filled his vision. He felt his legs being lifted, one at a time, and his boots being tugged off as Braig began to speak.

"It has been weeks, Even. Weeks! That I have had nothing, no sex, no contact with him at all!" Part of Even's dazed mind realized that the sharpshooter was talking about Xehanort as he felt a pair of hands unsnapping his pants. "Since you won't let me near him -" Even felt his pants being pulled off, followed shortly thereafter by his boxers, leaving his lower body exposed to the chilly air of the library. "- you'll have to take his place!" Even realized just what Braig was planning to do as the marksman unsnapped his own pants and shoved them down to his knees. A second later, he felt something, large and hard and hot, touching his entrance, and he moaned again. He raised his hand to blast Braig with ice magic, but his head was lifted up and then slammed back down to the desk again. Darkness crept in on the edges of his vision, and he hoped he would pass out before Braig could rape him as he felt his legs being pushed apart.

"What are you doing!" Xehanort's voice, Even dimly realized, was shouting, and a second later, the thing touching him vanished before it could be used on him. Through sight that was rapidly fading as he began to lose consciousness, he saw Xehanort charging at Braig, swinging some kind of weapon...

Ah, a keyblade. From what little he could see of it, it was not the weapon that King Mickey had described as Master Xehanort's. That meant it was Terra's... Xehanort swung the keyblade, striking Braig on the side of the head, and he struck him again, and again, and again, lost in rage. That couldn't be allowed to continue... didn't want to wake Master Xehanort up after all...

"Xeha... nort." Even managed to rasp, and the younger dropped the keyblade and turned to him.

"Even? Even! You're going to be okay! Don't fall asleep! Help! Someone help!" Even closed his eyes with a vague smile, proud that Xehanort had finally stood up to Braig. "Don't go to sleep, Even! Somebody help me! Even's hurt!"

Running footsteps, and a door opening. Even felt someone pick him up and begin to carry him away. "Stay with us, Even." Aeleus' voice. Even only smiled vaguely as the darkness swallowed him, and he passed out in the big man's arms.

**OOOOOO**

His head was throbbing. When Even came back to himself, the throbbing in his head, which was in perfect time with his heartbeat, became the first thing he noticed. The second was that he was lying on a bed somewhere. The third was that someone was sitting on the bed beside him.

"Xehanort?" he said as he cracked his eyes open.

"No," Ansem replied as Even managed to get his eyes to focus "Xehanort is not in here."

He was in the infirmary, Even realized, and he then recalled the events that had landed him there. "Where is Xehanort? How long have I been in here? What time is it?"

"You've been in here for a few hours. Aeleus brought you in here earlier with a severe concussion. The doctor will be surprised to see you awake so soon. As for the time, it is just before midnight."

Damn, they had to meet King Mickey soon. "Where is Xehanort?"

"Xehanort is being taken care of. According to Braig, he caught Xehanort attempting to take advantage of you, and when he tried to stop him, Xehanort attacked him."

"That's a damned lie!" Even snarled as he tried to sit up, but the room spun around him and the throbbing in his head worsened, which made his stomach roll. "_Braig_ tried to rape me, not Xehanort!"

"Why do you insist on protecting him after all he's done? Braig has taken him to my office, and I will decide what to do with him later. Taking him in obviously was a mistake, and what do you think you are doing?"

Even didn't answer; he threw the blankets back, and trying to ignore how the room was still spinning, his felt like like it was going to explode, and how his stomach threatening to forcefully eject its contents, got to his feet and began to stagger out of the infirmary. He had to get to Xehanort.

"Even, stop this foolishness and return to your bed this instant! Xehanort will get what he deserves and -" Whatever Ansem had been about to say was cut off as Even turned around and blasted him full on in the face with the most powerful ice magic he could muster. He heard a thump as the man's body hit the floor, and not stopping to see if he had injured or even killed the man, and not really caring if he had, he continued his wobbly trek out of the infirmary.

The castle corridors had never seemed so long as he stumbled down them, with graying vision and a head that screamed in pain with every beat of his heart. At one point, he collapsed to his hands and knees and vomited up the remains of his dinner all over the floor, and part of his just wanted to collapse and let the bliss of unconsciousness swallow him. But then he remembered his promise -

_ You are safe with me, Xehanort. This I promise you._

- and he forced himself back to his feet. He couldn't pass out; he had to keep going. Xehanort needed him. It took him forever to reach the maze of corridors that led to Ansem's study, and as he leaned against the wall to try and clear his head, he heard something that chilled his blood and made him start moving again.

Xehanort's screams.

The sounds echoed down the high ceilinged halls, and as Even slowly dragged himself forward, they kept coming, breathless screams of agonizing pain, occasionally broken by sobbing and pleas for help. Every one caused a stab of pain in Even's heart; it was obvious what Braig was doing to him.

"Even?" Even looked down to his left, panting with exertion, to see King Mickey looking up at him in concern. "I've been looking for you. What happened? Are you alright?"

"No time, have to get to Xehanort, in Ansem's study with Braig."

Another scream and then: "Somebody help me! Please, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts! Someone please, make it stop!" The mouse's face clouded with anger, and his keyblade appeared in his hand as yet another scream echoed down to them.

"Heal." Green light surrounded Even, and he felt his headache, dizziness, and nausea melt away as if they had never been there. The hall stopped spinning, and he pushed away from the wall and began to run down the hall towards Ansem's study, with the mouse somehow easily keeping up with him. When they reached the door to Ansem's study, they found Dilan and Aeleus trying to break it down, while Ienzo stood nearby, with tears pouring down his face. The door was damaged where they had tried to break it, and Aeleus was in the process of using his ax sword to chop around the lock, but the solid wooden door was much stronger than it looked, and the process was going to take time. Time that Xehanort did not have.

"Somebody please!"

"Stand aside!" Mickey commanded and such was his tone that Aeleus immediately obeyed. The mouse aimed his keyblade at the door, and a thin beam of white light shot out from the end of and connected with the door lock. They heard the click of the lock retracting, and Aeleus kicked the door open and ran inside. Even was right behind him.

Braig was standing at Ansem's desk with his back to the door, Xehanort's bare legs on either side of him, kicking feebly. Braig had simply pinned Xehanort down on his back on the desk, and pinned his wrists down as well. In one of Xehanort's hands was Terra's keyblade, but he couldn't get his hands free to use it. The smells of blood and sex were heavy in the air, and Even had to fight to keep from being sick as Aeleus struck Braig hard on the side of the head with the flat side of his ax sword. Braig collapsed to the floor in a boneless heap, and Even stepped over him to get to Xehanort.

The younger was only wearing his white dress shirt, though Braig had torn the front of it open, and his entire body was covered in bruises from where Braig had evidently beaten him. Most worrying was the large amount of blood that was smeared on his thighs, pooled on the desk, and soaked into the carpet, with more dripping out of him. Xehanort's screams had dropped to cries once Braig was out of him, but even those cries began to weaken as Even reached him and gathered him into his arms. He had lost so much blood.

"Heal." Even heard the king speak again, and the green light flowed over Xehanort's battered form. Immediately, the blood loss ceased, and the bruises faded, and Xehanort laid his head on Even's shoulder, wrapped his arms around him, and just cried.

"It's alright now, Xehanort." Even soothed as he rocked the younger apprentice and tried to ignore the blood that he could feel soaking through his hospital pajamas "We're here with you. I've got you. It's alright. You're safe." He spent a few more moments cooing to Xehanort before he looked past the white haired head that was lying on his shoulder to Dilan and Aeleus. "We need to leave now. I want you two to take Ienzo and go get our things. Once everything is gathered together, Aeleus, I was you to come back here and carry Xehanort. He needs time to calm down before we can take him through the castle, but we have to leave as quickly as possible." _Because I think I might have killed Ansem, and we need to be gone before he's found._ he thought but didn't say. Aeleus and Dilan nodded, and Aeleus handed him the rest of Xehanort's discarded clothing, and then, without a word, they took Ienzo and left the room at a run. King Mickey took up station by the door and kept silent as Even spent the next few minutes calming Xehanort down and carefully redressing him. Not long after, Aeleus reappeared, and Even gently handed Xehanort over to him. Xehanort was still crying, but he was much quieter than he had been before as Aeleus cradled him securely in his arms and carried him out of the room and down the halls. They met Dilan and Ienzo on the way, and Dilan handed Even the suitcase that he had packed for himself as well as a second one that had been packed for Xehanort, while Ienzo slung a small bag of his own possessions over his shoulder.

"My gummi ship is this way." King Mickey said, and he began to lead them out of the castle towards the Bailey, with Aeleus, carrying Xehanort, behind him. Ienzo followed Aeleus, Even followed Ienzo, and Dilan brought up the rear, carrying his bag as well as Aeleus'. The gummi ship was the strangest thing that Even had ever seen, but it was a welcome sight nonetheless. King Mickey climbed up in the pilot's seat and began firing up the engines while Aeleus carried Xehanort aboard and gently strapped him into a seat. Dilan stowed their things, while Even made sure that Ienzo was securely belted in as well. He then buckled himself in between the two, while Dilan and Aeleus took their seats. King Mickey retracted the gangplank and closed the door from the controls in front of him, and through the clear glass dome over them, Even caught a glimpse of Ansem running out of the castle, with a half naked Braig right behind him. The two of them were shouting something, but their words couldn't be heard over the whine of the engines as Mickey smoothly brought the ship into a hover over the ground, and then the ship blasted off into the sky.

Just before the castle shrank out of sight, Even was pleased to see that his ice attack had given his former master a nasty case of frostbite on his face.

Once the blue of the sky gave way to the blackness of space, the king told them that it was safe to move about. Ienzo immediately leapt from his seat and pressed his nose to the glass of the canopy, staring in fascination as the universe unfolded around them. Dilan and Aeleus spoke to each other in low voices, and Even looked over at Xehanort to see that he was still crying softly. Unbuckling his seat belt, he went over to him and wrapped his arms around him.

"We really left." Xehanort said quietly "I'm really safe now."

"Yes," Even said gently "you are."

Xehanort dissolved into fresh tears and laid his head against Even's chest, only this time, his tears were of relief. Even stroked his hair and murmured soothingly to him as Dilan draped a blanket that he had found in the back over him, and after a few minutes, Xehanort's cries slowed and stopped as he fell asleep in Even's arms.

**OOOOOO**

Even watched from a comfortable spot under a palm tree as Ienzo and Aeleus built a sand castle on the beach below. The two were discussing in low tones the design and size of their castle, and Even couldn't help but smile as he watched them. Nearby Dilan sat under another palm tree, with his nose in one of the books that he had brought with him from Radiant Garden. He smiled again as adjusted the brim of his straw hat as he looked around for Xehanort, and he spotted him sitting on the fishing pier a short distance down the beach, watching the setting sun in silence.

While Even, Ienzo, and Aeleus needed sun screen and straw hats to protect them from the sun, Xehanort simply tanned even more than he already was. Dilan, the lucky bastard, neither tanned nor burned. With a small sigh, Even heaved himself to his feet from his comfortable spot, which got him a quick glance from Dilan before the lancer returned to his book, and walked down the beach to the pier. Xehanort gave no indication that he noticed that Even was there until the blond sat down beside him, with his legs dangling off over the water that was sloshing around the pilands that supported the pier.

"No one here knows me," Xehanort said after a few minutes as he continued to stare at the setting sun, and a cool breeze rustled a few strands of his white hair. "Yet this place feels so familiar to me, so maybe it really is my homeworld. Maybe my family moved when I was a baby and that is why no one knows my face here."

Even nodded. "It is possible."

The truth was that, after King Mickey had dropped them off here, he had pulled Even aside and quietly told them that the Destiny Islands were Master Xehanort's homeworld and that the Keyblade Master's family had long ago died off. The two of them had hoped that the feeling of home and familiarity invoked by being there might counteract the negative emotions generated by being the victim of so much abuse. The fact that the place was absolutely beautiful and that the locals were friendly and welcoming was just a bonus. Already Aeleus and Dilan had set themselves up as local handymen, who fixed everything that needed fixing. Ienzo was due to start school in a few more weeks, and the child had admitted that he was actually looking forward to it since he had already made a few friends among the local children. (They included a small silver haired boy named Riku that gave Xehanort the strangest looks off and on. Ienzo had asked him if he knew Xehanort, but the child had simply shook his head and said nothing.) As for Even, he stayed at home with Xehanort and took care of their house while the others were away. Xehanort was still not completely over his ordeal, and they all knew that full healing could take months. He wouldn't sleep in a room by himself, suffered from frequent nightmares, and touching him in any way without warning him first resulted in a frightened shriek. Their neighbors had been told that Xehanort had been imprisoned and tortured in their previous homeworld, which explained his fear without invading his privacy. The neighbors had been sympathetic and many had commended Even on his devotion to his friend.

Xehanort raised his hand and summoned Terra's keyblade. Even had been very relieved when King Mickey had confirmed that it was indeed Terra's keyblade, not Master Xehanort's. That meant that the elderly Keyblade Master's heart was still sealed away, though there was the chance that Terra's heart could still fully awaken. "Did I tell you want happened the other day?"

Even looked at him curiously. "What?"

"I found a small cave over there," He gestured vaguely in the direction of the waterfall "and I found an odd shaped door inside. I was looking at it, trying to to figure out what it was, when the keyblade just appeared in my hand. A keyhole then appeared in the door, and this beam of light shot out of the keyblade and hit the keyhole. I heard a lock clicking, and then the keyhole vanished. It was strange; maybe I'll ask King Mickey about it the next time he visits."

The king occasionally visited with news from the other worlds, including Radiant Garden. During his last visit, he had quietly told Even that Braig had vanished after the marksman had tried to have his way with one of the local girls without her consent. The girl's father and older brother had beaten Braig within an inch of his life, and the last anyone had seen of him, he had been dragging himself towards the castle. No one had seen him since. Ansem had taken on a few new apprentices, though with the news that five of his previous ones had fled in the middle of the night, whispers had begun to circulate, and the title had lost most of its luster.

Mickey had also somehow managed to shrink down the rest of their possessions, including all of Even's books, and had brought them as well. He had then returned them to normal size, and upon Ienzo's exclamation of how cool that was, blushed and admitted he had learned those spells from his own master.

Xehanort leaned against Even's shoulder. "Thank you, Even.'

"For what?" Even asked as he put his arm around Xehanort's shoulders.

"For protecting me, for being there when I needed you, for putting up with me, and for caring."

Even smiled when Xehanort turned to look at him, and the red sunlight reflected off of his brown eyes, eyes that were no longer filled with fear and misery. Even smiled again and placed a chaste kiss on Xehanort's hair. "You're welcome, child."

Laughter off to their left made them look up to see Aeleus and Dilan roaring with laughter as Ienzo gleefully jumped all over the sandcastle that he and Aeleus had built.

"Hey, Even!" Dilan shouted over the gently lapping waves "What's for dinner?"

"Whatever you feel like cooking!" Even shouted back, and he laughed himself as he stood up and offered a hand to Xehanort, who took it and stood up as well. Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo walked back to the pier, and the five of them climbed in their row boat, which Aeleus easily began to row back to the main island.

Later as they gathered in their kitchen, laughing as Dilan and Even cooked, Ienzo set the table, and Aeleus and Xehanort teased the cooks about being "good wives someday.", Even thought that this is how things should be. A family, a strange family at that, sharing a home and a meal. Just the five of them, no one around the hurt any of them, no one to blame them for things that were not their fault.

Just family, as it should be.

**A/N: Holy god, this thing is the same length as "Dead Flowers"! It just kinda.. got away from me. There were two things that consistently bothered me while writing this. One was that I could never come up with a good reason for Ansem to be so hostile to Xehanort when all the evidence pointed to him as the victim. Though I suppose since KH2 shows that he can be a cruel bastard when angered, and since what he sees as a false accusation towards Braig angered him, I guess that can work. Still too flimsy for my liking though. The second thing that bothered me was I kept thinking that Xehanort was too teary. One half of my brain would say "That is a reasonable reaction to being repeatedly raped, esepcaily if your rapist is allowed to run loose and makes no secret that he's itching to get his hands on you again." and then the other half would say: "But he's still a crybaby." *shrugs* Sometimes, you just can win, even against yourself. XD**


	4. The Price: Regret

**Summary: This is the direct follow up to Rejection, in which Ansem realizes how badly he screwed up.**

Ansem stared into the amber liquid in the glass. His reflection stared back at him, and he could clearly see the emotion in his eyes, though he didn't need a mirror to tell him what it was.

Guilt.

The lord of Radiant Garden groaned and downed the whiskey in one gulp, but he knew that all the alcohol in the world wouldn't be enough to erase what he had done. The guilt at his words and actions clawed at him, tore at his heart, leaving him a shallow wreck of his former self. How could he have been so blind? How could he have destroyed everything without even realizing that he had been doing it?

It had been a simple thing to him then. He had known Braig since the marksman had been a child; Xehanort was the memoryless foundling that he had taken in two years previous. Braig had always been an honest young man, never getting into trouble and well liked by everyone, while Xehanort had been found, beaten nearly to death, showing that someone had been willing to kill him for whatever reason. Ansem had tried to ignore that last fact during the long months of Xehanort's recovery as he helped care of the boy, but it was always there in the back of his mind. If someone had been willing to kill him, was it was because he had done something to deserve his fate? It hadn't helped that they had found a set of armor and a weapon nearby which obviously did not belong to him. Did that mean he had destroyed his attacker before collapsing?

No one had known, but all of those questions had come to the forefront the morning after he had found Xehanort and Braig in bed together. The evidence pointed to a clear case of rape, with Braig as the rapist and Xehanort as the victim, but then Dilan had told him that Braig had insisted that Xehanort had been willing then entire time. Xehanort had admitted he had been, and well, Ansem had heard the phrase about the red mist descending, but it was the first time he had experienced it for himself.

His face flushed with shame as he recalled the cruel words he had spoken to Xehanort as the younger man had laid in his hospital bed.

_You whore! How dare you try to blame Braig for your own promiscuity! You deserved what happened to you last night!_

He'd seen the look of anguish in Xehanort's tear filled brown eyes then, but he had ignored it as his anger burned hot and fierce. He had also ignored his surrogate son's heartbroken cries as he stalked out of the infirmary. It had made perfect sense to him then; Xehanort had been the one taking advantage of Braig, and upon being caught, had cried rape to save his own skin. Ansem had ignored all the signs that pointed to Xehanort being the victim; the bruises, the scarring, the fissures, all the signs that he had been subject to frequent, often violent, sex. Xehanort's change in personality from a confident, intelligent young man to a timid shadow had once filled him with concern, but only until Xehanort's confession in the infirmary. Then none of the evidence had mattered as he leapt to Braig's defense.

Thankfully, Even had the sense to think for himself. His Senior Apprentice had taken Xehanort in and given the younger man the care and protection that Ansem had refused to give him. Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo had also joined him. Ansem knew that his apprentices were intelligent, frightfully so, yet he had refused to entertain the thought that any of them had rallied around Xehanort for a reason. No, it was simply because Xehanort had them all fooled, and they believed his lies.

Ansem poured himself another glass and downed that one was well. It was his fault that they were gone. He had done nothing to help them.

He had not given Xehanort a chance to explain.

He had not believed Even and the others when they had insisted that Xehanort was the victim.

He had not quelled the rumors that had been circulating around town.

He had not done anything to stop the hostility of the townspeople.

He had not protected his children.

He had failed them all.

He had failed Even, his oldest apprentice, a boy that he loved as a son. The child that he had taken in had grown into a fine young man, and Ansem had been so proud of him, but that love and pride had vanished like mist in the rising sun after Even sided with Xehanort. He had refused to listen to Even's reasons, insulting the boy's intelligence in doing so, and had made things as difficult as possible for him. He had also done nothing when rumors began circulating that Even was bedding Xehanort; something that he should have stopped immediately. Instead he had allowed the rumors to persist until Even had felt unwelcome in the castle that had been his home since the age of twelve.

He had also failed Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo. He had treated them like he did Even, and he had shown Ienzo just how cruel he could be. Even had been raising the child, but Ienzo still treated Ansem like a grandfather, and he had thrown the child's love back in his face.

He had failed even Braig, who was now confined to his room permanently. Instead of punishing the boy for what he had done to Xehanort, he had ordered his release, which allowed the marksman to eventually target a seventeen year old girl from town. He had tried to rape the teenager, but her screams had alerted her father and brother before anything could happen. The two had beaten Braig nearly to death, and the boy had been only barely able to drag himself back to the castle, where he had collapsed. The doctors said that he had suffered severe head trauma during the beating, and it had done serious damage. Braig was confined to his rooms, because, even after all that he had done, Ansem couldn't bring himself to imprison someone that needed a nurse to feed, bathe, clean, and clothe him. It was unlikely that Braig would ever recover.

Worst of all, he had failed Xehanort, the lost young man that he had taken in and given a home. He remembered well Xehanort's desperate longing to have a family that loved him and a home to call his own. He had given Xehanort those things, and then done his best to destroy them. It wasn't until the boy had fled that he had realized that Xehanort was still in many ways a child, a lost, lonely child, looking for someone to protect him from the monster that had hurt him. He had looked to Ansem to be that protector, and Ansem had only cut him with cruel words and shoved him away. If it hadn't been for Even's willingness to step into the role...

Ansem shuddered and downed another glass. If Even hadn't been there, there is no telling what might have happened to Xehanort. Whatever happened, it likely would not have ended well for his newest apprentice. The morning after the five had fled, he'd found the blood in his office, Xehanort's blood, he'd found out later, and he had been told in no uncertain terms by the infirmary staff that Xehanort had come precariously close to dying with that kind of blood loss. Not long after, King Mickey had arrived and he had proceeded to tear Ansem apart with words. Because of Ansem's own bullheaded refusal to listen to what five of his apprentices were telling him, Braig had nearly raped Xehanort to death on the desk. He had described in graphic detail the scene he had encountered in the office: Xehanort pinned to the desk, his agonized screams, his pleas for help, the blood, and how his legs had feebly kicked as Braig brutally took him. He had described how Aeleus had knocked Braig unconscious, how Even had sat down on the desk and gathered a battered, beaten, and bloody Xehanort into his arms and cradled him on his lap, and how only Mickey's own healing spell had prevented Xehanort from bleeding to death. He also related just how long it had taken Even's comforting arms and soothing words to bring Xehanort out of his hysterics long enough for Aeleus to carry him out of the castle.

And yes, Mickey stated, it was he that had helped them escape, and no, he wasn't going to tell Ansem where to find them. Xehanort, Even, Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo were gone and forever out of his reach.

Ansem went to pour himself another glass, but he discovered to his dismay that the bottle was empty. Dragging himself from his chair, he went over to the liquor cabinet to get a new bottle and paused. The doors to the cabinet were mirrored glass, and the reflection looking back at him showed him the final proof of his failure.

He had been so pleased and proud when thirteen year old Even first displayed ice magic, and he had watched as the boy slowly developed his talent over the years. Never had Even used it on a person, not until the night they had fled. Even's powerful magic had left him with such severe frostbite on his face that the doctor had no choice but to cut large chunks of his skin that had been killed by the cold away. She had then done a skin graft, but so much healthy tissue had been lost that his face had been left pitted and sunken in in places, permanent reminders of his failure to protect his children.

"Lord Ansem?"

Ansem turned around to see one of the servants he had hired to care for Braig standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but Braig is upset again."

Ansem turned back to the mirror and nodded. "I will be there shortly. Do your best to quiet him until then."

Braig's losses had left him frequently frustrated and upset, rather like a toddler that was angry at its own limitations. His frustration sometimes erupted into tantrums, which only upset him more as they showed just how limited his control over his own body was. When these tantrums erupted, only Ansem could quiet him; anyone else would get clawed or bitten.

The servant stepped out to go tend to Braig as best she could, and Ansem reached into the cabinet to get another bottle of whiskey. His hand touched the cool glass, and he paused, and then he let go of it. No, he wouldn't have any more alcohol tonight. Braig needed him more than the bottle did. Sitting his glass down on the counter, Ansem turned and followed the servant out of the room and down the short distance to Braig's new room.

A few minutes later, as he sat on Braig's bed in his darkened room and held and soothed the still sniffling, pajama clad boy in his arms, he did his best to push thoughts of Xehanort and the others out of his mind. Like Mickey had told him, they were forever out of his reach, taking with them any chances of an apology, even though he knew no words could make up for his actions. Instead he had to settle for caring for the only child he had left.

Braig relaxed as he fell asleep, and Ansem carefully laid him down and tucked him under his blankets. He had failed them all: Xehanort, Even, Dilan, Aeleus, Ienzo, and Braig, and they had all paid the price for his failure. As he smoothed Braig's dark hair (Which had been cut short to make it easier to care for.) back from his forehead, he made a silent promise to them, to himself. Tomorrow, he would address the people and tell them the truth about what had happened. It was the least he could do for Xehanort and Even, for the ones that he had hurt the most.

He would not fail them again.


	5. The Price: Remembrance

**A/N: So the question got asked: What would have happened if the events of Rejection happened, but instead of fleeing to another world, the gang remains in Radiant Garden and the events of the games happen like normal? This is the result. **

**A/N 2: This thing was so awkward to write. Partially, I believe, because I just don't like Xemnas at all. I'm still not completely happy with how this came out, so maybe it the future, when I don't have Writer's Block threatening to take over my mind, I can do a rewrite and clean it up a bit.**

Xemnas frowned down at the letter lying innocently on his desk. The single sheet of paper was covered with Zexion's neat, precise handwriting, and it had been delivered directly to him by one of VI's illusion clones through a portal, and the Superior of Organization XIII wondered why the letter couldn't have been delivered through the normal channels, namely the Dusks that acted as couriers between Castle Oblivion and The Castle That Never Was. Xemnas did not claim to be precognitive or have any other extra sensory abilities (Other than those granted to Nobodies of course.) but he had a strong feeling that he was not going to like the contents of the letter.

Finally, after staring at it for several minutes, he plucked the paper from the surface of his desk and started to read.

_Lord Xemnas,_

_I hope this letter reaches you, as I fear that the others I that have sent did not. I do not claim to know the reason for your non response to my other letters, and I hope you will grant me your indulgence if you have received and read them and at least consider my words and my request. _

_Since our arrival at Castle Oblivion, XI has shown an unusually strong interest in IV. At first Marluxia would stay close to Vexen, never speaking to him or interacting with him in any way, only watching him, which I thought odd. I could tell that it made IV uncomfortable, but he would say nothing about it, regardless of how many times I questioned him about it. As the weeks passed, I began to detect XI's scent all over IV, yet questions about it revealed no answers. IV simply refused to speak of it. _

_Nine days ago, I walked into the lab unexpectedly, and found IV within, cleaning and bandaging several small puncture wounds on his arms and legs. He refused to say where they were from, and he threw me out of the lab when I pressed the issue, but I was clearly able to detect XI's scent on him. What's more, I could also tell that he had recently been... intimate with someone. I began to suspect then what he and XI had been doing, but it wasn't until earlier today that my suspicions were confirmed. _

_I am writing this letter in IV's room, while he sleeps on his bed nearby. His arms and legs are again wrapped in bandages, and the twin scents of blood and sex cling strongly to him. I found him earlier, stumbling from XI's room, half dressed, dazed, and in pain, and he was bleeding heavily from many small wounds again. I had to call for Lexaeus to carry IV to his room, as he was in no condition to walk. He denied that XI had done anything to him, but when V and I managed to hold onto him long enough to look at him, we saw all the telltale signs. _

_I firmly believe that Marluxia is abusing Vexen in the same manner that Braig once abused Xehanort. I had already written asking for you assistance in this matter, yet you have not responded, so I hope that this letter, which will be taken by one of my illusions, will reach you. _

_Your humble servant, __VI, Zexion_

Xemnas frowned as he laid the letter back on his desk. Despite the loss of his emotions, thinking of the months where Braig had treated Xehanort as a sex toy to be used until he broke always caused a residual ache in his empty chest. Upon finding out, Ansem had rejected his favored apprentice, and if it hadn't been for the protection of Even, Aeleus, Dilan, and even Ienzo, the abuse would have continued. The four had protected Xehanort fiercely for the next year, refusing to allow Braig near him, and shielding him from the hostility of the townspeople. It was only after they lost their hearts that the protection ended, but only because it was no longer needed. Xigbar simply didn't dare to try and treat Xemnas the way that Braig had treated Xehanort.

Vexen was not Even; Xemnas was not Xehanort. Any debt that the latter may have owed the former was canceled upon the loss of their hearts. IV could fend off XI's advances if he chose to -

_But you made Marluxia his superior._

- and besides, maybe IV was willing and that was how they like to do things?

_Xehanort was also willing in the beginning. Remember how that turned out?_

Shoving those traitorous thoughts aside, Xemnas stood up from his desk, determined to think no more about IV and XI. If the two of them wanted to use each other in such a way, as long as they did as they were supposed to at Castle Oblivion, then it didn't matter to him.

**OOOOO**

_Xehanort screamed in agony as Braig pounded into him. He was pinned down to Ansem's desk, with no means to get away, and he was screaming, crying and sobbing, pleading for someone, anyone, to come and help him, but no one was coming. No one cared; he was just Braig's little whore after all. Who cared about a whore? _

_He screamed again as he felt himself being torn apart inside, felt his blood pouring out of him. It hurt so much! He was going to die on the desk; he was going to bleed to death while pinned under Braig. Why wasn't anyone coming? Where was Even; Even had promised that he would be safe. Was Even still alive?_

_Braig was gone suddenly, and Xehanort's tear filled brown eyes met Even's bright green ones, and Even was there with him, and it was Even's arms that were scooping him up and holding him, and it was Even's voice that was cooing soothing words to him. Cradled on Even's lap, Xehanort cried in relief, misery, and pain as the Senior Apprentice gently rocked him. _

"_I've got you. You're safe."_

**OOOOOO**

Xemnas sat up in bed, gasping and sweating. He raked his hair back from his forehead and thought about the dream that he had just had. He had never dreamed of his life as Xehanort before, and he knew that, if he had a heart, it would have unnerved him greatly. As it was, it was still enough to make him turn the bedside lamp on and spent a few moments curled up with his head on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

He remembered clearly the incident that he had dreamed of. Angry at his inability to get to Xehanort, Braig had attacked Even instead, when the Senior Apprentice was alone in the library. Xehanort had wandered in before the sharpshooter could actually do anything, so Braig had left Even lying unconscious on a desk and dragged the terrified Xehanort to Ansem's office. Once there, he had thrown Xehanort down onto the desk and spent the next few hours repeatedly, violently, raping him until Even and the others had arrived.

Something had broken within Xehanort that day. Within mere weeks, he had delved so deep into the darkness of the heart that he had no hope, or desire, of escaping. Not long afterward, he had summoned the dark keyblade and attacked the others with it, not caring at all that he was destroying the very people that had fought so hard to keep him safe.

He had taken _great _pleasure in ripping out Braig's heart, as well.

Xemnas pushed thoughts of Xehanort aside as he turned the lamp off and laid back down. He had too much to do come morning to think about a past that no longer mattered.

_You are safe, Xehanort. This I promise you._

Xemnas sighed; he would go to Castle Oblivion in the morning.

**OOOOOO**

Xemnas portaled directly into Zexion's room inside Castle Oblivion, to find the Cloaked Schemer dressed and preparing to start his day.

"Superior." VI said, startled "I am glad that you came."

Xemnas folded his arms over his chest. "Tell me everything, VI, about XI and IV, and do not leave anything out."

Zexion nodded. "I told you most of everything in my letter, Superior, but there is one other thing that concerns me greatly." Xemnas simply looked at him and said nothing, so the youngest of the original six continued quickly. "Vexen has become... withdrawn. I know that he was never very sociable to begin with, but now V and I barely see him at all, and when we do, it's clear that he is losing weight and not sleeping well. I worry that he may fade away if something is not done."

Xemnas nodded. "Very well, VI. Take me to IV's room."

Zexion bowed his head and walked out of the room. Xemnas followed him. Vexen's room was just down the hall, but it was empty, and it looked as though the Chilly Academic had been pulled from his bed by someone. Zexion looked at the blankets and sheets lying on the floor for a moment before he turned to Xemnas.

"He was in here last night, Superior, sleeping as I wrote that letter to you. When I left to seek my own bed, he was still sleeping, and Lexaeus was told to leave him be and let him sleep."

"Could he have simply left of his own will?"

The Cloaked Schemer shook his head adamantly. "He was in no shape to get out of bed last night. He had to be carried here, so I'm certain that someone took him from the room."

"Then find him."

VI nodded his head, and he began to sniff the air. As Xemnas watched and followed, Zexion walked out of Vexen's empty room and down the hall, following the elder scientist's scent. Xemnas knew that chances were good that IV was simply down in his lab, working on something or other, but that was proven wrong when Zexion took the stairs leading up to the upper floors where Marluxia, Larxene, and Axel resided.

As they walked down the white halls, their booted steps echoing off the high ceilings, Xemnas felt the gaping hole where his heart used to be begin to ache in a hollow remembrance of sadness. It was clear that Vexen was in the company of the three that occupied the upper part of the castle, and while there was still a chance that he was there willingly...

VI paused in mid step, and then he spoke a single word:

"Blood."

He then broke into a run, apparently forgetting that he could portal anywhere instantly. Xemnas followed him, since he wasn't sure where they were going. They ran down the hall, up a flight of stairs, down a second hall, and then up another flight of stairs that ended in a short entryway. The entryway led into a lavish sitting room, with a few doors leading off in different directions. Zexion ran to one door that led of the left and stopped. The closed door had no lock, but Xemnas learned right away what had made the Cloaked Schemer pause.

They could clearly hear Marluxia's voice coming from the other side of the door, though they couldn't make out what he was saying. The rhythmic creaking of bed springs could also be heard, as well as small whimpers and muffled cries. Pushing past the shocked Zexion, Xemnas opened the door, and if he had been capable of feeling it, what he saw inside would have sickened him.

Marluxia was on his bed, which was perpendicular to the door, and naked save his mane of hair. He was leaning low over Vexen's equally naked form, murmuring something to him as he thrust into him at a leisurely pace. Vexen was lying on his back, his arms pulled up over his head and bound to the headboard with one of the Graceful Assassin's vines. More vines were wound around his lower legs, keeping them spread apart and lifting his lower body off of the mattress at just the perfect angle for penetration. Drops of blood were oozing out of from between the wraps of the vines around his arms and legs. A gag muffled his cries but did nothing to stop the tears that were rolling down his face.

" XI." Xemnas said dangerously, and Marluxia's head whipped up to stare at him in horror. Xemnas had a brief flashback to the night that Ansem had caught Xehanort and Braig in bed together, before he banished it in favor of checking on the Chilly Academic. He ignored Marluxia entirely as the pink haired man scrambled off of the bed.

"Release the vines, Marluxia." Xemnas commanded "_Gently_." The vines loosened and slithered away back to wherever the Graceful Assassin had summoned them from, and Vexen sagged into the mattress as blood began to stream from the countless puncture wounds since the thorns that created them were no longer there to keep them closed.

Vexen's green eyes were ringed with shadows and wide with pain as the scientist gazed up at his superior, and Xemnas slipped his black coat off, leaving himself naked from the waist up, and carefully wrapped Vexen in it before he gathered him into his arms. He turned to see that Axel had arrived at some point, and the Flurry of Dancing Flames' eyes were flicking back and forth between Marluxia and Vexen.

" VIII," Xemnas said "You are in charge of the castle until VI returns.' Axel nodded, still apparently trying to grasp what had happened. " VI, come with me." A portal then opened in the room, and Xemnas carried Vexen through.

The appeared in the infirmary in the Castle That Never Was, and Xemnas carefully laid Vexen down on an exam table before he turned to face Zexion as the younger Nobody came through the portal.

" VI," he said firmly "You are to treat IV's injuries; do whatever needs to be done. When that is done, send a Dusk to me; we have things that must be discussed."

Zexion bowed his head again. "Yes, Superior."

Xemnas nodded his head once, and then he swept out of the infirmary.

**OOOOOO**

Vexen, The Chilly Academic and Rank IV within Organization XIII, felt himself rising from the depths of sleep, and he couldn't stop the whimper that slid past his lips at the pain flooded his senses as he woke.

"It is alright, Vexen," came a voice from somewhere.

"Ze... Zexion?"

"Shhhh, don't talk."

"What happened?" Why was his voice shaking so much? Was he ill?

"It is not for you to worry about now. Go back to sleep and rest." A hand came down to gently rest on his forehead.

"I am in pain."

There was rustling sound, a soft beep, and then the pain began to fade. "Is that better?" Vexen sighed in relief and managed a feeble nod as Zexion's hand moved to grasp his own. "Go back to sleep, IV. You will feel better when you wake up."

Vexen's weakly curled his fingers around Zexion's as what he assumed was a morphine drip helped him sink back into the blackness of sleep.

**OOOOOO**

Murmuring voices fell upon his ears, and, as much he tried to ignore him and stay within the warm embrace of sleep, they began to wake him. As he came to, he realized that the pain was dulled this time, not as sharp as it had been before. The voices became clearer, and he realized that they belonged to Zexion and Xemnas.

That had him puzzled; Zexion he could understand. Zexion was Vexen's assistant when needed in the infirmary, so it stood to reason that if Vexen himself was down, then Zexion would be the one administering to his care. Xemnas' presence however made no sense to him. If a member of the Organization was seriously ill or injured, he preferred calling Vexen and Zexion up to his office to report, instead of coming down to the infirmary himself.

Vexen cracked his eyes open with a soft groan, and he saw Zexion's blurry outline sitting in a chair by the foot of the bed. He blinked a few times, and the Cloaked Schemer came into focus as his slate haired head turned to the right.

"He is awake, Superior."

"I see that, VI." Came Xemnas' voice from the opposite corner. "You are dismissed, and I expect a full report on my desk by tomorrow morning."

Zexion stood up from his chair and bowed his head. "Yes, Superior." And then he walked silently from the room.

Xemnas said nothing for several minutes, and Vexen closed his eyes and tried to will himself back to sleep to escape the oppressive silence when the Superior finally spoke.

"Were you willing?"

Vexen shook his head slightly. "No, Superior."

"Were you coerced or threatened in any way?"

This time, Vexen nodded. "Yes."

"Tell me what happened. Leave nothing out."

Without opening his eyes, Vexen heaved a sigh and began to talk. He told his superior of Marluxia's interest in him, how the flower elemental hovered around him frequently and demanded that Vexen drop whatever he was doing and join him in the garden or wherever the Graceful Assassin happened to be. He spoke of how the attention escalated into light touches and caresses that continued despite his obvious dislike and discomfort, how Marluxia had slapped him hard enough to loosen teeth when the he had firmly told him to stop touching him and leave him alone.

"I am your superior in this castle." Marluxia had said as he stood over Vexen as the latter sat slumped on the ground holding his hand to his throbbing jaw "And you will do as I demand, or I will have you wishing for the blackness of oblivion."

XI threatened to make a false report to Xemnas, claiming that Vexen was a traitor and use that as and excuse to execute him. Knowing that Marluxia was more than willing and capable to make good on his threat, Vexen had submitted himself to the neophyte's will, even as his touch make his skin crawl with disgust. The touches had then grown into more when the Lord of Castle Oblivion had pinned him to a wall and kissed him hard. Vexen had struggled to escape it, which resulted in another hard slap and being restrained by the vines so XI could practically molest him in the hallway.

It had been the following night when Marluxia had found him alone in the laboratory, and, using the vines to tie him to a lab table, had raped him for the first time. Things had continued from there, and Vexen quickly learned that any attempt to fight resulted in more pain, though Marluxia liked to say it was merely punishment for insubordination.

"It didn't matter to him what I was doing; if I was sleeping or eating, or working on the project that you assigned. If he demanded my attention, I couldn't refuse him. Doing so was... unpleasant." Vexen explained, his voice raspy from all the screaming and crying he had been doing over the past several days. He heard Xemnas shift in his chair, and a second later, a drinking straw touched his lips. Vexen greedily drank down the cool water in the cup until it was dry, and then he continued speaking. "I couldn't get any work done, I couldn't get any rest, nor could I eat anything. He just wouldn't let me; his 'needs' as he phrased it, were more important that my health and work."

The Chilly Academic could almost hear Xemnas' frown. The Nobody didn't give a damn about any of his subordinates emotionally – he wasn't capable of it – but he did want them to take care of themselves properly, so they could complete their assigned tasks efficiently. By endangering Vexen's health and preventing him from working on the next phase of the Replica Program, Marluxia had incurred the wrath of the Superior; he just didn't know it yet.

He heard Xemnas stand up. "You are to stay in the infirmary, IV," he said evenly "until VI has deemed you well enough to leave. You are to rest and heal, and we will discuss the situation with XI further once you are well."

Vexen opened his eyes then to see Xemnas looking down at him, and for a brief second, he thought he saw the young man that he knew as Xehanort in the Superior's eyes, before he dismissed it as a hallucination caused by the morphine. "Yes, Superior."

Xemnas then walked out of the room, and Vexen reached for the self medicate button on the morphine pump and gave it a press. As the painkiller flooded his veins and started to put him to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder if there had been another reason behind the Superior's rescue of him.

No, he thought as he closed his eyes and drifted off, that simply wasn't possible.

**OOOOOO**

Xemnas, The Superior of the In-Between and Rank I within Organization XIII, stood at the Altar of Naught, looking up at the small cluster of hearts that was the start of their own Kingdom Hearts, deep in thought. VI had assured him that IV would heal, something that he knew anyway; he remembered well Xehanort's long path to recovery after Braig's last brutal attack. He also remembered that Even was a constant presence, never leaving the other's side unless it was to bathe or relieve himself and always making sure that either Aeleus or Dilan were with him if he did. Yet he had just left IV alone in the infirmary with no one to watch him...

Xemnas shook his head in an echo of exasperation. It didn't matter. Marluxia was not Braig; the Graceful Assassin wouldn't dare to go after Vexen after being caught in the act. IV was safe for now.

But that still left the question of what to do about XI. Xemnas believed that Vexen had been unwilling, yet he couldn't throw Marluxia from the Organization or punish him in such a way that he was left addled. Letting him go with no punishment at all was completely unacceptable. Doing so would weaken his position as the Superior, damage Vexen's trust, and show Marluxia that he could do whatever he wanted without repercussions. Of course, there was also his and Larxene's little plot to deal with.

Hmmm, maybe a conversation with Xigbar was in order. The Freeshooter would no doubt enjoy the results. Decision made, Xemnas opened a portal to II's rooms and stepped through. "II, I have need of you."

**OOOOOO**

When Vexen next woke from his drug induced slumber, Zexion was at his bedside, watching him.

"You told him." the Chilly Academic said accusingly.

Zexion nodded. "I did."

"Why? I did not wish for it to become known."

"Lords Vexen, Marluxia was killing you. He wasn't allowing you to eat or rest, and his thrice damned vines caused you to bleed heavily. Were you waiting for him to injure you so badly that you dissolved into darkness under him before you admitted that he was hurting you?"

"I'm not..." Vexen turned away from the Cloaked Schemer's gaze. His empty chest ached with an echo of pain, and he knew that, if he had a heart, he would have been crying. "It wasn't important."

"Wasn't important... Are you mad? He was physically and sexually torturing you. How is that not important? Did you just expect me to stand by and do nothing?"

"You have no attachments to me."

"_You raised me_. You are the only parent that I can remember. We cannot feel anything for each other, but I remember that Ienzo loved Even more than anything, and I couldn't sit by and let Marluxia abuse you in such a way."

"_Ienzo_ loved _Even_. _Zexion_ cannot do the same for _Vexen_, so again, why did you say anything?"

Zexion sighed and hung his head. "Is it so hard for you to understand that I couldn't bear the thought of you being abused in such a way?"

"It does not matter what I do or do not understand. You shouldn't have said anything to the Superior."

"Well, I did, and it's done now, so now we need to pay attention to the more pressing issue."

"Which is?"

"What Xemnas will do about Marluxia."

"I doubt he'll do anything at all. After all, he did place Marluxia in charge of Castle Oblivion, so he'll probably just lecture him and send him back, with us going back as soon as I'm able."

Zexion was cut off before he could speak by the sound of the main doors to the infirmary opening.

"VI," came Xigbar's unmistakable voice "We need you out here."

Zexion leaned forward in his chair and gently laid his hand across Vexen's for a brief moment before he stood up and walked out of the small private room into the main area of the infirmary.

Vexen tried to go back to sleep, but the voices in the other room, which echoed into his small room, kept him awake. He could clearly hear every word that was being said.

"Kingdom Hearts, II, what did you do to him?"

"Superior's orders." Xigbar said, and though Vexen couldn't see him, he could just picture the grin on the Freeshooter's face. "Can you patch him up?" There was a pained cry -

_Marluxia?_

- and Zexion sighed in irritation. "I can."

"Get to it then, and report to the Superior once he's taken care of."

"Fine, you may leave, II."

"I'd better stay; he might decide to do something naughty, after all."

Zexion sighed again. "I doubt it. I haven't seen this kind of damage since the last time Braig got his hands on Xehanort, so it's highly unlikely that he'll do more than lay there and cry while I sew him up. So again, you may leave."

"If you're sure...?"

"Yes, Xigbar, I am sure! Now leave!"

"Fine, fine." Xigbar huffed, and Vexen heard his booted footsteps stomping out of the room "I really wanted to watch..." The infirmary door slammed, and Zexion sighed a third time.

"Let's get you taken care of, Marluxia." the Schemer said quietly, though something in his tone made Vexen shudder. With that, he reached over to the morphine pump and gave it a press. He had no desire to hear whatever revenge that Zexion was planning to inflict on the Assassin.

**OOOOOO**

Xemnas walked calmly through the infirmary doors, past the others that were hanging about in the hallway, curious as to the source of the cries emanating from within. He found Marluxia restrained on a bloodied table, howling in pain while Zexion quietly sewed up the fissures inflicted by Xigbar.

"VI," he said flatly as he walked up to the table. Marluxia's eyes landed on him, pleading for rescue, but he ignored them. "Isn't such a procedure done normally under anesthesia?"

Zexion nodded once in acknowledgment of the question. "Normally, yes, but I decided to inflict my own punishment on him." He paused in his stitching. "Kindly quit your squalling XI; I'm almost done."

"Was my chosen punishment not enough to satisfy you?"

"Not completely, no. He has done far more to Vexen than Xigbar did to him. I decided that he could take a little more, to make sure the lesson was learned."

Xemnas thought for a second; he knew that Zexion should be punished for such insolence, but he decided to let it go this time. The Cloaked Schemer stubbornly clung to memories as Ienzo, the strongest of which featured Even as his surrogate father, so it was not a shock that he wished for Marluxia to suffer.

VI finished the final stitch, and then he cleaned XI up, before he released the restrains and stepped back. "You may go now, XI."

Still crying, Marluxia shakily sat up and gingerly stepped down from the table, but he crumpled into a sobbing heap on the floor when he tried to walk. Xemnas rolled his eyes, none too gently scooped Marluxia up and carried him out into the hall, where he shoved the bawling Assassin into Saïx's arms and told him to take him to his room. He then went back into the infirmary and shut the doors.

VI was busy sterilizing the table and cleaning his instruments, and a quick check into the private room showed that IV was sleeping deeply under the affects of the painkiller that he had been given.

"How many letters did you send me?" he asked as he leaned against a counter and watched Zexion work.

Zexion paused for a second. "Five, Superior."

"Five, yet only the last one reached me. How did you send the first four?"

"Via the Dusks."

Xemnas frowned. The Dusks took the mail and gave it to Saïx, who sorted it and passed it on to the appropriate people. Dusks were one step below Higher Nobodies, and they flawlessly performed any task that they were given. Losing four letters, all from the same person, was very unlike them, which meant...

Without another word to Zexion, Xemnas strode out of the infirmary, intent on having a word with the Luna Diviner.

**OOOOOO**

Vexen was awakened by someone gently shaking him by the shoulder. He grumbled under his breath, and cracked one tired green eye open to see Zexion standing over him, wearing a satisfied smirk.

"What is it?" he grouched.

"The Superior called a meeting. Everyone must attend, even you."

Vexen growled angrily, but he allowed the Cloaked Schemer to help him stand and dress in the standard uniform of black clothing under a black leather coat. Once he was clothed, he portaled directly into his chair in Where Nothing Gathers. He winced upon sitting, expecting to find the hard seat uncomfortable at best, but to his surprise, he sank into a soft cushion, though he couldn't see one. Zexion then portaled into his own chair, and the younger Nobody nodded at him. Vexen understood; the cushion was hidden by an illusion, so no one else would see it and guess why it was needed.

Over the next few minutes, the other members of the Organization portaled into their seats. Saïx, Vexen noted, looked very subdued, and the Berserker kept his eyes on the floor. Marluxia yelped when he sat down, which drew a laugh from Xigbar and Xaldin, and the Graceful Assassin also kept his gaze averted. Xemnas appeared last, and the Superior looked over the assembled Nobodies for a long moment before he began to speak.

"I will not name names here," he said firmly "but there are some among us that think it is acceptable to take advantage of other members of the Organization. Such behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances." He sent a quick look at Marluxia, who flinched. "There are also those who take me for a fool." He looked at Marluxia again, followed by Larxene. "Did you think that I did not know? Or that I wouldn't find out?" He looked at Saïx and then Axel, who shrank back in their seats. Xemnas looked over the other Nobodies for a moment before his gaze landed briefly on Zexion. "XI, XII, and VIII, you three are to return to the Castle That Never Was, to resume your normal duties. IV, V, and VI, you three are to remain at Castle Oblivion, and others will be sent to join you later. VI, I am placing you in charge of Castle Oblivion. Let me make myself perfectly clear, in case some of you didn't understand it the first time. No one, at any time, for any reason, is to harm another member of the Organization outside of normal training. Furthermore, any more plots or hints of of treason against the Organization will result in the guilty party spending the rest of their non-existence as a Dusk. Am I understood?"

There was a general chorus of "Yes, Superior." and Xemnas nodded. "You are dismissed."

The Nobodies portaled out, and Vexen portaled directly into his bed in the infirmary. He was tired and sore, and all he wanted to do was get some sleep and try to catch up all the rest he hadn't been able to get at Castle Oblivion. Zexion appeared a few seconds later, and he helped Vexen undress and get into bed.

"We will return to the Castle Oblivion in the morning." the Cloaked Schemer said quietly as he patted the blankets around his shoulders. Vexen nodded sleepily and was almost asleep when -

"Step out of the room, VI," came Xemnas' voice "I would speak with IV alone."

Zexion's light footsteps walked out of the room, and a second later, the door closed behind him. "Look at me, Vexen." Xemnas said firmly. Vexen wearily turned his head and opened his eyes to see Xemnas standing by the bed looking down at him. The Superior said nothing for the longest moment, and Vexen thought he saw Xehanort instead of Xemnas looking at him again, but then Xemnas spoke, and the image vanished.

"Xehanort's debt to Even is paid." he said, and then he walked out of the room without saying another word. Vexen watched the empty doorway for a long moment before he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

Maybe, he thought as he drifted off to sleep, it was possible after all.


	6. The Price: Despair

**A/N: Bring your own tissues folks. In this one, everyone rejects Xehanort, not just Ansem. My own heart was aching for poor Xehanort as I wrote this one, which is pretty rare for me. **

Xehanort plodded listlessly down the darkened streets of Radiant Garden, scarcely paying attention to where he was going. His hair was dirty and tangled, his clothes unwashed and rumpled, but he didn't care. He was well beyond caring about his appearance. His face was pale and sticky with dried tears, but despite the despair that filled his broken heart, no new tears fell. He was past the point of crying; too numb to express the pain that raged within him.

No one cared. No one scolded him about letting his hygiene slip. No one noticed that he had stopped eating days ago and had lost an alarming amount of weight. No one came to check on him when he cried out in his restless sleep as nightmares plagued his nights. No one said a word whenever Braig slammed him down onto the nearest flat surface and fucked him until he screamed. He was beneath their notice now.

Whores didn't deserve kindness and love in Radiant Garden.

The night that Master Ansem had found him and Braig in bed together, he had hoped that maybe, it would end. Braig would stop stalking him, and things could go back to normal. But they hadn't. Upon finding out that Xehanort had been willing, Ansem had rejected him, and the other apprentices followed his lead, shunning the one that they had once cared so much for. Even, Dilan, and Aeleus quit speaking to him, and they forbade Ienzo from speaking to him as well. If he walked into a room with any of them, they either left or stared at him so hard that he left himself, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere. His chair vanished from the dining table, and it was made clear to him that he was no longer welcome to eat with them. At first, the servants had brought him meals in his rooms, but then that had stopped as well. The servants began to ignore him entirely, and they whispered about him, about the whore that had been using Braig. No one listened to him; no one gave him a chance to explain.

Hoping to escape the misery in the castle, he had begun spending as much time as he could in town, but soon the rumors and whispers spread there as well, and more than a few angry citizens had pelted him with rocks and garbage. Unable to escape the hostility, he had isolated himself in his rooms.

No one spoke to him.

No one came to check on him.

No one even seemed to notice that had hidden himself away.

Life in the castle and town continued around him like normal, only now, he was no longer welcome to be a part of it.

During those countless days and nights, he saw only Braig, during the marksman's many visits to his room. Those visits often left Xehanort bleeding and crying on the floor, bed, couch, or whatever Braig had tossed him down onto, but soon Xehanort stopped crying, stopped struggling, and just stopped reacting. He had crossed the line from pain to numbness, and he had lain face down on the floor where Braig had left him, unmoving, for several days, until Master Ansem had come in.

"Stop this foolishness, Xehanort." the lord of Radiant Garden had demanded "There is nothing wrong with you. This is your own fault; you brought it on yourself. I expect you, bathed, dressed, and ready to work, in the labs tomorrow morning." The older man had stomped out then, slamming the door behind him, and it was then that Xehanort began to cry as his heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

Those would be the last tears he would ever cry.

He had eventually dragged himself up from the floor, straightened his clothing so that he was fully covered, and wandered out of the castle.

Which is how he found himself wandering aimlessly through the darkened streets, lost and alone, wishing desperately for some kind of release from the pit of despair that his life had become. Weak from starvation and thirst, he stumbled and fell to the cobblestone street, and he cried out in pain as his head struck the hard stone. Nearby a door opened, and a voice called out.

"Get out of here, you whore! We don't want your kind around here!"

A rock struck him between the shoulder blades as he struggled to stand, and he dragged himself down the street, only hoping to get away from the residential areas into a place that was more isolated. A place where he could lie down and die.

He wandered through the night, and at some point, the sound of moving water penetrated the fog around his mind, and he realized that he was close to the Rising Falls. He walked a bit more and soon he was standing on the rocky platform that looked out over the yawning chasm.

Even had told him about the Rising Falls two and a half years ago, as he had lain in the infirmary recovering from his injuries. Ansem's great-grandfather had created them, using a mix of technology and magic, which allowed him to make water defy gravity and fall up instead of down. Xehanort had been unable to believe it, so, with the doctor's permission, Even had taken him there to see them as soon as he had been deemed well enough to stay out of bed for a few hours. He remembered that Even had laughed at his stunned expression, and once they were back at the castle and Xehanort was securely tucked into bed, he had explained that the falls had been closed off long ago due to how dangerous they were. The magic and machines that created them caused a dangerous vortex to form at the bottom, invisible from above. Several people had drowned in them within a few years of their creation, so they had been closed off and access to them had been blocked. Other than the staff that maintained them, only a select few could get in to them now, and only with Ansem's permission.

Evidently, someone on that maintenance staff had left the gates open, which Xehanort was suddenly glad for as he stared down at the bottom of the falls. He couldn't see the vortex, but he could hear it. The roar that many people associated with the rising water was mostly caused by the swirling water below. As Xehanort stood on the ledge and felt the breeze from the moving water ruffling his grimy hair and clothes, he realized that the falls could provide the out he was looking for. All he would have to do is lean forward and... Even had told him that the currents at the bottom were so powerful that little more than shredded fragments of those that drowned were ever found. It would be perfect.

_Xehanort!_

He ignored the frantic voice in his head as he stepped closer to the edge. They would never find him; they might never even figure out where he had gone. That is, if they even bothered to try and find out. It might take days for someone to notice that he was missing. Not that it mattered; no one would miss him anyway.

Because no one missed a whore.

_Xehanort! Don't do it, Xehanort!_

He couldn't see the bottom of the falls in the darkness, but he knew how far of a fall it was; he and Dilan had once spent a lazy afternoon throwing various things into the water. He knew that it was take him approximately 4.7 seconds to reach the bottom once he stepped off. Once he hit bottom, the powerful currents would drag him into the vortex; there would be no escaping it. He shuffled closer to the edge and took a deep breath. This was it; everything would be alright soon.

_It doesn't have to end this way!_

Xehanort closed his eyes and simply leaned forward. After less than a second, he felt gravity exert its pull on his body, and his feet left the ledge. He felt the cold, damp wind on his face, felt himself falling, heard the roaring of the water growing louder and closer.

And then nothing.

It was three days before anyone noticed that he was missing. It was even longer before they learned where he had gone. Once of the workmen for the Rising Falls found scraps of a lab coat floating on the water, but there was no sign of a body. That wasn't surprising, however, the currents tore apart anything that they touched.

The workman went to Ansem and explained what he had found, but the lord of Radiant Garden was unmoved by the discovery. Instead of saddened at the apparent suicide of his apprentice, he was angered at the boy's cowardice, and in a fit of rage, he demanded that the portrait of the one that he had once loved as a son be taken down and destroyed and that the name of Xehanort never be uttered in the world again. Most agreed with his request. They were better off without Xehanort anyway, they all said.

All, except one.

Once word of Xehanort's suicide reached his ears, Even found himself plagued by doubt and guilt. He finally ignored his master's words and put his mind to work, and what he realized unsettled him greatly, and he was ashamed of his actions. Only after Xehanort was gone did he realize that he had persecuted an innocent victim and had helped drive him to suicide.

Sitting alone in his rooms, Even buried his face in his hands and cried as the guilt and grief clawed at his heart.

"Even?" Even looked up to see Ienzo standing in front of him; he hadn't even heard the child come in.

"What is it, Ienzo?"

"Are you okay?"

Even wiped his tears away as best he could, and a quick burst of ice magic did wonders for the red and puffy eyes. "I'm fine. What do you need?"

Ienzo gave him a long look before he spoke. "You promised to take me into town for ice cream today."

"I did, didn't I? Well, there is no time like the present." He stood up from his chair. ''Shall we?"

A half hour later, as they sat at a table outside the ice cream parlor with their ice cream, Even paid scarce attention to Ienzo as the child chattered away. Instead his mind was on Xehanort again, and he was finding it difficult not to start crying again where he sat. Swallowing the lump in his throat and blinking the tears back, he let his gaze roam around the busy streets around them, and -

What?

"Xehanort?" he breathed, scarcely able to believe his eyes. A person stood in the nearby street, and even though the hair was brown, and the eyes were blue, the resemblance to Xehanort was uncanny. No, it couldn't be Xehanort, but was that the purple fabric of an ascot tied to the hilt of the strange weapon he was carrying?

The person gave him a gentle smile and nodded at him and then vanished into the crowd.

"Even?" Ienzo asked, and Even looked back at the child seated across from him. "Are you okay?"

Even looked back at where the person had been standing to see no one, but that face... That smile...

Oddly comforted by the person's gentle smile, as if he had known the cause of Even's turmoil, Even smiled at Ienzo.

"I'm alright." he said "Let's finish our ice cream before it melts."

Ienzo nodded enthusiastically, and Even looked back at the street.

"Good luck, Xehanort." he said softly.


	7. The Price: Family

**A/N 2: I was trying to finish Rescue and work on Isa, but this popped into my head and started jumping up and down like a hyperactive child. "Write me! Write me!" I ignored it for a while, but then it started writing itself, so I figured that I had better get it down before I lose it. **

**A/N: Direct follow up to Rejection. *waves Angst Mallet threateningly* Do I even need to warn you that Woobie!Xehanort is ahead? Serious character derailment ahead, folks. This fic also connects The Price to Mythology, so you ought to go read that fic if you haven't already. **

His sandaled feet made soft crunching sounds as Xehanort walked quietly down the gravel path towards the beach. He walked alone; Dilan and Aeleus were out working on a few things while Even was at home with Ienzo and a couple of his little friends. It had taken months, but Xehanort had finally relaxed enough that he didn't need to be in the presence of the others at all times, something, he was sure, they all found relieving. He knew that they cared, but.. sometimes he wondered if they wanted a break from him, from his clinginess, from his nightmares, from his need to reassured again and again that they weren't going to leave him, that no one was going to hurt him, that he was safe. They tried to hide it from him, but he had been trained to observe, and he caught the signs. An exasperated sigh from Even when he reached out to him in the middle of the night, insisting that he had heard Braig's voice in the house, irritated grumbling from Ienzo when he woke them all up screaming from a nightmare, aggravated insistence from Aeleus and Dilan that there was nothing there, and could they _please_ go back to bed now?

If he had been in their shoes, he would have definitely wanted a break now and then.

The sun was beginning to set by the time the gravel began to give way to sand as he neared the beach. Despite everything, he still felt a little... lost, cut adrift. The part of him that still hurt over Master Ansem's rejection feared that the others would grow tired of him in time and do the same, and while his mind knew better, it was something that his heart would whisper to him when he woke the entire house, screaming from a nightmare, or when an unexpected hand on his shoulder would make him shriek with terror and cower away. His mind knew that they would never abandon him, but his wounded heart refused to listen.

He walked down the sandy path through the saw grass that whispered and swayed in the ocean breeze that never stopped and stepped out onto the empty beach. He sat down at the water's edge, folded his arms atop his knees, and rested his chin on them and watched the sun set in silence. Despite the fact that no one knew who he was, and no one knew of any family that had left for another world around the time that he would have been born, or any other time for that matter, he still felt certain that he knew the Destiny Islands somehow. It was like they had whispered him a welcome when he had first stepped out of King Mickey's gummi ship onto the warm sand, and that whisper had touched him in some way that resonated within his very soul. He had tried to find anyone, anyone at all, that might have been able to tell him anything, desperate to connect to a family that he could no longer remember, hoping to find that _someone _had loved him and was missing him, but there had been nothing. The last person to vanish from the islands had been over fifty years previous, and that teenaged boy had simply disappeared without a trace, with some insisting that he had drowned out to sea.

Curious, propelled by something he couldn't explain, he had gone to the town hall and searched through the records for that boy, and what he had found had excited him unlike anything before. It was a birth record, dated sixty-five years ago, and it only contained a small amount of information, but that information was significant to him.

_In the year of the sea, 752, month of Sirramon, day of Sema the 10th._

_Baby boy born to Josel and his wife, Riki _

_Eyes; Brown_

_Hair: White_

_Name: _Xehanort

Heart racing with sudden excitement, Xehanort hadn't dared to breathe for fear that the name would vanish from the yellowed paper. It wasn't until the archive keeper, a tiny whisp of a woman that was nearly seventy years in age, called out to him did he release the breath that he had been holding, and he had asked her excitedly if there was anything about this other Xehanort that she could tell him. She had smiled gently at him, sat him down at a small table and told him what she knew.

"I'm am surprised that no one has told you, what with your name and all." she had said, and he had only looked at her in confusion. She had chuckled then and told him of the two brothers, Xehanort and Xehas, gods of the sea and land respectively that according to myth, had created the Destiny Islands. Xehanort eventually fathered a child with a human woman, and Xehas, jealous and angry, murdered her and tossed the child into a well to drown. Xehanort rescued his son and left him with a human family to raise before he attacked and killed his brother for vengeance. Father to Xehanort and Xehas, the sun inflicted a brutal punishment on his son for the death of the other, leaving Xehanort badly burned, blind, and deaf. The moon, the brothers' mother, then placed Xehanort on her back to sleep and heal, where, as far as anyone knows, he remains still.

As for the son that Xehanort left behind, the child was raised by the family that he was left with, and his descendants walk the islands still.

"Or rather, they did walk." the old woman had said, and she had tapped a small symbol on the birth certificate by the infant Xehanort's name, as well as by his mother's. It was a tiny circle, and when Xehanort squinted just right, he had been able to see what appeared to be an image of a cresting wave inside of it. "Riki was, at the time, the last known descendant of the man that was believed to be Xehanort's son, which made her own child his descendant as well. Xehanort was a family name, given to those that resembled the sea god, which Riki's son did."

"What happened to him?" Xehanort had asked quietly, enthralled by the story.

"No one knows. When he was fourteen, he went to the playground island and simply never returned, and no trace of him was ever found. Some say that he drowned, and his body was then swept out to sea. What is known is that a visitor from elsewhere had come to the islands, and he and his young charge left on the same day that Xehanort vanished, so some believe that they left together. His parents never had any other children, and when his mother died, Lord Xehanort's bloodline was gone from the islands."

"But I could be a descendant right? Because no one knows exactly what happened to him? He could have gone somewhere and had a child?" Xehanort had asked her desperately, and she had given him a sad look - his amnesia was well known among the islanders by then – and said nothing. Dejected, he had returned home, with despair suddenly filling the space where hope had once blossomed.

**OOOOOO**

The feel of warm water touching his feet broke Xehanort from his thoughts, and he shook his head as the sun vanished below the horizon and the moon rose behind him. He turned his head and looked up at it, wondering. Did Xehanort still sleep upon her back, protected from his father's angry gaze? Or had he healed and now wandered the islands, searching for his descendants?

Xehanort looked away and shook his head as he stood up. It was just a silly story, created by the early islanders in an attempt to explain their existence. There was no such things as gods and and goddesses.

Head hanging with the sudden weight that settled on his heart, Xehanort silently went home, where he went straight to bed.

**OOOOOO**

"_Even can't protect you now." Braig sneered as he dragged Xehanort down the long corridors to Ansem's office "I've been waiting for this for weeks."_

_Xehanort sobbed in terror and tried desperately to get away from the iron grip on his arms; he knew what was coming. "Let me go! I don't want this anymore!"_

_Braig shoved him through the open door into Ansem's office. "Well you're going to get it." Xehanort tried to run past him back out into the hallway, but a fist crashed into his gut, knocking him backwards and kicking the wind from his lungs. Xehanort collapsed to the floor, gasping, as Braig closed and locked the office door. "You're going to get it all night." Xehanort felt the toe of the sharpshooter's boot slam into his ribs, and he tried to cry out as he fell backwards to the floor. "Once I've taken all the fight out of you, I'm going to throw you on that desk and fuck you hard."_

"_No, no, no, no!" Xehanort wailed, and he scrambled to his feet and tried to run through the door leading to the lab. The lab had heavy steel blast doors, and if he could get behind one of them and close it, he would be safe. He had barely taken a step, however, when he was yanked backwards by his hair and spun around to meet Braig's fist as it smashed into his face. He then felt his jacket being yanked off of him, and then his shirt was torn open before he was shoved down to the floor, and the blows began to rain down. He tried to crawl away, but a hard kick to his side made him collapse back to the floor, followed by a hard punch to the back of his head. He cried out weakly as he was picked up off the floor and none too gently thrown down onto Ansem's desk on his back._

"_No!" he sobbed as the rest of his clothing was removed "Please don't hurt me anymore!" His legs were pushed apart, and he heard Braig unzipping his pants. A second later, he felt the warmth of the man's body as he pressed up against him and leaned over him to whisper directly to his face before he pinned Xehanort's wrists to the desk._

"_All night, Xehanort." Braig whispered with an insane grin "We have all night." He grinned again, and every word was punctuated by a roll of his hips. "And I am going to spend every single minute of it fucking you." _

_No Braig! Please! Don't!" Xehanort's pleas were cut off as Braig brutally entered him, and he screamed, and screamed, and screamed, and..._

**OOOOOO**

Xehanort sat up in bed, screaming in horror and remembered pain. He tore at his hair and thrashed his head about as he tried to get away from the monster that was stalking his mind, and he only screamed louder when a pair of arms came around him

"It is alright, Xehanort." A tiny part of him recognized Even's voice, but the terror of his worst memory had a firm grip on him, and it would not let go. "Braig is not here. There is no one here to hurt you. You are safe."

"Another one?" Aeleus' voice.

"Obviously! Turn the light on, and someone go get his meds!" The room flooded with light, and Xehanort felt himself being rocked gently. "Xehanort, I need you to calm down. You were dreaming again."

"Let me go!" he wailed "Please just let me go!"

"Can you hear me, Xehanort? It's just a nightmare. I've got you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Please stop! Don't hurt me anymore!" He cried out as he felt himself being hoisted onto someone's lap and held tight against a warm body, and a second later, a large hand grabbed his chin in an strong grip and held his head still as cold glass was inserted between his lips. A foul tasting liquid was squirted into his mouth, and a hand gently stroked his throat, which made him swallow. Almost immediately his cries began to quiet as the sedative that he had been prescribed to help calm him after his nightmares did its work. He then realized where he was and what had happened.

He slumped against Even as Aeleus returned to the kitchen to rinse the dropper out, and he noted Dilan and Ienzo standing in the doorway.

"M'sorry, Even." he mumbled as he was cradled in Even's arms.

Even sighed. "It is alright, Xehanort." he said tiredly as he laid Xehanort down and pulled the light summer blanket up to his chin "I imagine that you're every bit as tired of these nightmares as we are, probably more so."

"Wish they'd go away." he mumbled as his eyes closed and someone turned the light off.

Even sighed again and stroked Xehanort's hair. "As do I, Xehanort, as do I."

_I'm sorry. _he tried to say one more time, but the sedative pulled him into the blackness of sleep before he could voice it.

**OOOOOO**

It wasn't until the late afternoon that Xehanort dragged himself out of bed to rejoin the others. As was normal after being dosed with the sedative, he was tired, groggy, irritable, and short tempered, and the others tried not to bother him. He had no interest in reading or doing anything else, so he sat slumped at the dining table and tried to ignore the throbbing headache caused by sleeping such a deep sleep for sixteen hours. It didn't help his mood any that the neighbors kept popping by to ask if he was alright, which meant they had heard his screaming, _again_.

"Wow, Xehanort." Ienzo said after people that normally didn't hear him came by to ask about him "I think the entire town heard you this time." Even shot Ienzo a warning look, but it was too late as Xehanort's fragile hold on his temper snapped.

"Do you think this is funny!" he snarled, which didn't help his throbbing head any, which only made his temper worse "Do you think I enjoy waking up the entire neighborhood screaming? Yes, isn't it fucking wonderful that I'm stuck dreaming about being raped several nights a week! Ha ha, funny isn't it, Xehanort? Just laugh it up, Ienzo, laugh!"

"Hey, cool it, Xehanort." Dilan said evenly "Ienzo didn't mean anything by it."

"If he didn't mean anything by it, then he should have kept his mouth shut! I am so damned tired of this! I'm tired of not getting any sleep! I'm tired of the neighbors treating me as this fragile thing that will break at any second! And I'm tired of you four sighing, rolling your eyes, and complaining about me! Do you think I enjoy being unable to relax! Do you think I like being haunted by Braig even though the bastard is worlds away from here! I hate it! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, and I hate that everyone seems to think that I can just make it all go away at will!"

"None of us think that, Xehanort." Even said calmly "Now calm down."

"Calm down! _Calm down_! Don't tell me to calm down! How can I when my family..." Xehanort's breath hitched, and he felt tears pooling in his eyes. "when my own family... is tired of me?"

"Oh Xehanort, no, that's not it at all." Even rushed over to him. "We aren't tired of you, not at all." He tried to pull Xehanort into his arms, but Xehanort yanked himself away from the embrace.

"Actions speak louder than words, Even." he said quietly, and then he fled the house in tears.

He ran down the street, ignoring Even's voice calling him back, ignoring the neighbors as he ran past them. He just... had to get away from everyone. The sun was setting as he ran out of cobblestone road and ran down the gravel path to the beach. He vaguely registered another person standing on the beach, but he was so caught up in his own misery that he spared no thoughts for him or her. He dove straight into the surf, not caring that the swim to the play island was long and that he might not make it, not caring that his boat was just a few feet away, tied up to the pier like the others. Taking it would only point a large arrow at where he had gone, and he didn't want anyone to follow him.

He didn't want anyone to see him fall apart.

Somehow, he made it to the play island safely, and he was relieved when he found it empty, which was no surprise. By then, the sun was gone from the sky, and night had fallen upon the islands. He staggered up the beach, and stumbled across the sand to the path aside the small pond with its waterfall, into the small cave where he had found the mysterious door months ago. He then collapsed to the sandy floor, curled up in a ball, and cried. Large, gasping sobs shook his body as his chest heaved and tears poured down his face. He wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth, as part of him wished that Even was there to hold him and assure him that everything was going to be alright, just like he had since the night he found found him, crying and bleeding, in his bedroom back in Radiant Garden.

Yet, another part of him was glad that he was alone. He didn't think he could bear another exasperated sigh, another eye roll, another grumbled complaint. No, he was better off alone, where he could fall to pieces without anyone there to tell him lies about how it was all going to be alright. Damn it, why, oh why, had he thought it a good idea to allow Braig to touch him? He should have said no; he should have gone to Master Ansem about it, but no. Poor little foundling has to know, so let's be stupid and let yourself be turned into another man's fucktoy! Stellar idea there, Xehanort!

"It's my fault." he whimpered between sobs "All my fault."

He crawled over to the side and pressed himself against the smooth stone wall of the cave, where he curled up in a ball on his side and cried himself to sleep.

When he woke, a cold wind was blowing into the cave, and he shivered in his wet clothes as he stood up and walked to the mouth of the cave. His nose was stuffed up, his head felt as if it was about to explode, and he realized that he probably ought to go home, as much as he was loathe to, but that thought was stricken from his mind as he glanced outside.

The sky was covered with boiling black clouds, and a shrieking wind was blowing, whipping the normally small ocean waves into large white caps. Not too far away, lightning flashed, followed barely a second later by the rumble of thunder. With a storm rolling in, swimming back to the main island would be suicide; even with a boat, it would be dangerous, so he would just have to wait it out. He carefully rearranged the vines over the cave entrance to block out as much of the wind as possible, and then he returned to the cave, where he leaned up against the strange door just as the storm broke overhead. Lightning lit up the interior of the cave as the thunder reverberated through the rocks. Rain poured down in sheets, and the howling wind blew it through small holes and openings in the rock, which forced him to move to the other side of the cave to keep from getting any wetter than he already was. He curled up against just as a flash of lightning left spots in his vision, and an ear splitting peal of thunder made him clap his hands over his ears.

"I hope no one is out looking for me." he muttered to himself and then kicked himself. He had run out of the house crying after completely losing it on them. Of course, they were out looking for him! He was suddenly glad that he had left his boat then; if they knew it was gone, then they would try to get to the other islands to look for him, and being caught in this storm was certain death. Even from the cave, over the wind and rain and thunder, he could hear the waves crashing down on the beach with incredible force. They had to be huge.

"Please be safe." he whispered as he curled up in a tight ball and pressed himself as close to the rock as he could get. He laid his head down on the sand and yawned, still tired from the after effects of the sedative, and all the crying that he had done. Maybe if he went to sleep, the storm would be over when he woke, and he could go home.

And apologize to the others for being such a jerk.

"I'm sorry." he whispered faintly as he closed his eyes and relaxed into the sand, and within mere moments, he was asleep.

**OOOOOO**

A earth shaking roar of thunder woke him, and he quickly realized that something wasn't right. His head felt muzzy and full of cobwebs, his head was throbbing worse than before, and he was shivering and freezing cold. His sinuses were completely blocked, his throat was sore, his vision was blurry, and when he reached up with a shaking hand and touched his forehead, it felt hot to the touch. He groaned and laid his head back down on the sand and wished fervently that he had never fled the house earlier. With the storm still raging loudly outside, he couldn't return home yet, so he had to wait it out.

He curled up as much as he could and tried to warm himself up, but he was shivering so hard, and he ached, and oh, how he wished he was at home in his warm bed. He closed his aching eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but he was too miserable to sleep, and as the minutes passed, he realized that he was getting worse. He tried to stand up, to do what he wasn't sure, but the cave titled and spun, which forced him to either lie back down or risk falling. He could only hope that, once the storm ended, someone would realize that he could have swam to the other island and come looking for him. He laid his aching head down on the sand and somehow, he was able to go back to sleep.

**OOOOOO**

When he next woke, it was because he felt someone picking him up.

"Even?" he mumbled fuzzily.

"Go back to sleep, Xehanort." said a strange voice that was very rough and raspy and suffered from a serious lisp.

_Like his mouth and throat had been burned._ Xehanort thought as he was carried out of the cave and into the still raging storm. Strangely, he felt neither the wind nor the rain on him, and he peeped his eyes open to see who had him, but his vision was so blurry all could make out in the poor lighting was a vaguely human shape.

"Just relax, little one." the voice said soothingly "I'll have you home soon."

Oddly comforted by the voice and the arms that held him, and feeling completely unafraid of something that would have terrified him just a few hours earlier, Xehanort allowed himself to fall easily back into the darkness of sleep.

**OOOOOO**

Voices.

Muffled voices fell upon his ears as he felt his wet clothes being peeled off. He cried out weakly and struggled feebly, but he heard that other voice again, as clear as a bell.

"It is alright, little one. They are trying to help you, not hurt you."

"M'scared." he whimpered faintly, and though he could see nothing but blurred swatches of color and movement around him, he was certain that the voice smiled at him.

"No one will hurt you anymore, little one. Trust me, and let them take care of you."

Xehanort whimpered again as he closed his eyes, but he stopped trying to struggle as he was dried off and dressed in dry clothes. He felt the warmth of a blanket over him and the sting of a needle in his arm, and a familiar hand began to stroke his hair.

"Even?"

"Shhhhh," came Even's voice from beside him "Everything's going to be alright, Xehanort. You're very sick right now, but you'll feel better soon."

"M'sorry about earlier."

"There is nothing for you to apologize for. Go to sleep and focus on getting well."

"Stay with me?"

"I have no intention of breaking my promise and leaving you, Xehanort. Go to sleep now." Xehanort felt Even's hand move to gently grasp his own as he tumbled back into sleep's embrace.

**O****OOOOO**

When he next woke, he could barely open his eyes. The lids felt as though they were weighted down, but somehow he managed to pry them open, which allowed him to get a blurred look at his surroundings. He realized right away that he was not at home, and it didn't take much for him to realized that he was in an infirmary somewhere.

Again.

The room was dark, but he was just barely able to make out Even sleeping slumped in a nearby chair, and over by the window, standing in the moonlight that was pouring through the glass was another person. He wasn't frightened by the presence of a stranger in the same room as him, and he had just enough presence of mind to realize how odd that was. The person had their back to him, and the moonlight shone oddly bright on them as they stood there. He could just barely make out long hair that appeared to be light in color and patchy, like hanks of it had been ripped out, and skin that appeared to be heavily scarred, but that was all he could see. As if he or she was aware of his scrutiny, the figure turned around to face him. The face was blurred and indistinct, but Xehanort was again certain that the person smiled at him.

"Go back to sleep, little one." he said gently, and Xehanort recognized it as the owner of the voice that had spoken to him before and the one that had carried him home "Rest, and get well."

Xehanort had just enough time to wonder if a spell had been cast on him as he dropped off to sleep almost instantly.

**O****OOOOO**

Xehanort was in the small clinic that served as the islands' hospital for several days. Though no one told him what he had exactly, he heard the words "Seven day fever" mentioned off and on, so he assumed that was what it was. Not that he really cared. He felt absolutely miserable, suffering from severe headaches, chills, high fevers, nasty muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and a rash. Other than the doctor and nurses that were looking after him, only Even was allowed in the room, for fear of giving him a lethal secondary infection. Even seldom left his side, and the blond did his best to soothe and comfort him when he was feeling his worst.

Through it all though, even though no one else was supposed to be in the room, that strange man was always hovering nearby, though he preferred standing by the window when the moon was out. During the day, he retreated to the opposite side of the room and hung in the shadows. He never spoke, but surprising himself, Xehanort found his presence comforting. He knew somehow that no one could harm him as long as the stranger was in the room. Granted, Even wouldn't let anyone hurt him either, but Braig had gotten around that by taking Even out of the equation, so it was possible for others to do the same. He didn't get a good look at the person at first; he stayed in the shadows when the sun was out, and Xehanort's tired eyes couldn't see clearly beyond Even's chair. No one else, however, seemed to notice the man's presence, but Xehanort was too tired and ill to bother asking about him.

Four days after he was brought to the hospital, weak and so desperately ill, Xehanort's illness began to ease, and he began to feel a little better, though he still felt awful overall.

"When can I go home, Even?" he asked on afternoon as Even bathed him, though he kept his eyes on the strange figure that was hovering in the back corner of the room behind the door "I'm tired of being here."

"Not yet." Even answered as he ran the sponge over Xehanort's legs "You still have a bit to go before they'll let you leave here."

Xehanort grumbled something then as Even dried him off and dressed him in a clean nightshirt.

"I have to go home for the night now." Even said "Since you're feeling better, they demanded that I go home, eat, take a shower, and sleep in a bed instead of a chair. Will you be alright alone? If you want me to stay, I'll stay, regardless of what they say."

"Go on home." Xehanort replied "I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

Xehanort smiled weakly. "I'm sure." He reached out to Even then, and the taller man engulfed him in a tight embrace for a moment before he helped him lie down and tucked him in."Goodnight, Even."

"Goodnight, Xehanort. I'll see you in the morning." Even smiled at him, and then he walked quietly out of the room, leaving Xehanort alone with the stranger in the corner.

"Goodnight, little one."

"Goodnight, whoever you are." Xehanort replied with a yawn, and he heard a raspy chuckle as he closed his eyes and relaxed into sleep.

**O****OOOOO**

What Xehanort did not know, because no one had told him, was that Seven Day Fever is a biphasic disease, which means symptoms appear in the first stage, are followed by a brief respite, before the second, more dangerous, stage begins.

It was in the middle of the night, after Even had gone home, that this second stage hit.

**O****OOOOO**

Xehanort's eyes snapped open, and he realized immediately that he had worsened. His head was killing him, his gut hurt worse than it had when Braig had punched him, and he was burning up with fever again.

"Even?" he called out weakly, but there was no answer, and he realized that Even had gone home for the night. "Somebody?"

"I am here, little one." said the raspy voice, and he realized with a start that the figure was right next to the bed, allowing him to get his first clear look at the stranger that had been hanging around. He realized quickly that the person resembled him a great deal. The hair was patchy as he'd noticed earlier, but what hair there was fell in long white waves down his back, and what skin that wasn't covered in scar tissue was tanned like his own. His ears were malformed, almost like they had been melted somehow. The eyes he couldn't see, due to the white strip of cloth that was wound around the stranger's head, covering his eyes completely.

Xehanort processed all of this in an instant before he focused on the more important thing; he felt miserable again, and Even was gone.

"I thought I was getting better." he whined as the stranger sat him up and pulled him close like Even often did when he was upset.

"You were, little one, but this is the second stage of your sickness. Once you're through it, you'll be done with this."

Xehanort groaned and closed his eyes, but whatever he had planned to say next was interrupted by footsteps coming towards his room. Before he could blink he found himself lying down in bed again, but the stranger stayed close to the bed instead of moving over to the window. A nurse came into the room then to check on him, and upon finding him lying in bed, feverish once more, she promptly left the room to fetch the doctor.

Xehanort passed the night miserable and upset, and though he asked for Even several times, no one went to call him. The stranger never moved away from the bed, though Xehanort noticed that the doctor and nurses moved around him like he wasn't even there and never spoke to him. How rude of them...

Even returned as dawn's first rays were peeking through the window, and only then did the stranger retreat to the back corner of the room. By then Xehanort was worse than he had been when he had first been admitted, and he vaguely noted that Even looked ready to burst into tears at the sight of him.

"Why did no one call for me when he began to worsen?" he heard the blond demand, but he couldn't make out the doctor's answer. He was just so tired...

"Ev'n," he manged to croak, and the blond moved over to the bedside, carefully wrapped his blanket around him, sat on the edge of the mattress, and gathered him into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Xehanort." Even murmured soothingly as he gently rocked Xehanort like had had back in Radiant Garden "I should have stayed with you, but I'm here now, and I won't leave you again."

"Don't feel good."

"I know, and I'm so sorry I left you alone."

"Wasn't alone. Had him with me."

"Who?"

"Him," Xehanort wanted to point the stranger out – why hadn't Even noticed him before? - but he couldn't muster the energy to raise him arm. "Stayed with me... while you were gone. Wasn't alone."

"Wonderful," he heard Even mutter "He's hallucinating now."

"Not halluci.. hallucina... aw screw it." Xehanort snuggled close and tucked his head into the crook of Even's neck. Even was warm, and his lap was comfortable, and it had been a long time since he'd been held like this. It was... nice.

Even sighed, and his arms cinched tighter around Xehanort's shivering form. "Go back to sleep, I'm here with you now."

This Xehanort had no problem with -

_Is this what it feels like to have a loving parent?_

- and he fell asleep quickly, safe and secure and warm in Even's arms.

**O****OOOOO**

Xehanort battled the second stage for three more days, and he was much sicker the second time around. His head throbbed constantly, the nausea returned with a vengeance, and his fever skyrocketed, and he began to hallucinate for real. (Is that a contradictory phrase? he wondered with a delirium fueled giggle.) Sometimes the hallucinations were strange or amusing, like the bizarre one of Even, Dilan and Aeleus facing off against a strangely garbed version of himself (Really, a feather boa, a long pink coat, and green _stilettos_? Seriously? What was his fever fried brain _thinking_?), who was sitting astride a weird looking cannon of some kind. Others were terrifying and made him scream and cry, even as Even tried to soothe and quiet him, such of the one of the dark figure that hovered in a corner of the room and glared at him threateningly.

"Not real! Not real! Not real!" he'd scream and hide his face in Even's shirt as the blond assured him that nothing was there. "Make it go away!"

"You're hallucinating, Xehanort." Even said gently as he rocked him "It's not real." During the worst of the hallucinations, the stranger would approach him and lightly stroke his hair, and somehow, his touch was enough to ease Xehanort's fear and calm him down.

There were also the fever dreams to contend with, as if his regular nightmares weren't enough. His raging fever brought wave after wave of nightmares, many of them of enduring months of abuse from Braig, and they were frequent and vivid enough to make him not want to sleep, even though he desperately needed it. As ill as he was, the doctor was reluctant to give him something to allow him to sleep without dreams, so he spent many hours either nestled in Even's arms, or with Even actually lying next to him, hoping that the other's presence would keep the nightmares away. Sometimes, when he fought against falling asleep, Even had to just talk to him soothingly, and sooner or later, his eyes would close, despite his best efforts to keep them open, and he would nod off, though he usually woke up only a few hours later, screaming.

Finally, _finally_, nine days after he was brought to the hospital (He had been carried there through the driving rain by Dilan and Aeleus, he found out later.) his fever broke, and he slept deeply, free of nightmares and hallucinations for nearly two straight days. The illness had left him so very weak and nearly twenty pounds lighter, so the doctor kept him in the hospital for four more days before he was sent home with orders to rest and eat. It was also then that he learned just how lucky he had been. Even explained to him that second stage Seven Day Fever always caused either meningitis, liver damage, kidney damage, or organ failure, and sometimes all of those. Yet, though he had been dangerously ill, none of those had manifested. He had been very, very lucky.

It wasn't until he was back home that Xehanort realized that the stranger had vanished without a trace once his fever had broken.

Tired and weak, Xehanort did little more than sleep for the next week. He ate when Even coaxed him into it, but he only left his bed to relieve himself or take a quick bath. He didn't see the stranger during his recovery, which a part of him found disappointing, but he did find a strange trinket on his nightstand late one night, when he woke up to go to the bathroom. He recognized it as a Wayfinder immediately; he'd seen quite a few of them in the months since coming to the Destiny Islands, and he gingerly picked it up as he sat up in bed to look at it.

As was normal for a Wayfinder, it was made of five thalassa shells in the shape of a five point star with a token of some kind in the center. When he turned on his bedside lamp, he saw that the shells were an unusual color, dark blue at the bottom, lightening to lighter blues as the color moved up the shell, and white at the tips. The token in the center was circular, and made from an exquisitely carved piece of blue sea glass, etched into the shape of a cresting wave.

_Where have I seen that before?_

The detail was incredible, and the craftsmanship for the entire charm was much, much better than he had seen before. The question was: who had made it and left it there? He felt warmth blossom outward from his heart as he held it, and he couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face then, even though he wasn't sure _why_ he was smiling to being with.

"Xehanort?" came Even's sleepy voice from the other side of the room "Why is your lamp on? It's two in the morning. Go back to sleep."

Xehanort did not look up from the Wayfinder in his hand. "Even," he asked "did you make this for me?"

Even grumbled something, and Xehanort heard him shift in bed. "No," he said after a moment "Where did you find that?"

"It was on the nightstand just a moment ago."

Even laid back down then. "Ienzo probably made it for you. Now go back to sleep."

Xehanort sighed; Even was being grouchy again, but he shut the lamp off and laid back down, though he held the Wayfinder tightly in his hand as he went back to sleep.

In the morning, Ienzo denied making the Wayfinder for him, which didn't surprise him. Ienzo was never a hands on craft project kind of child. Dilan and Aeleus also insisted that they hadn't made it, and Even denied having anything to do with it as well. Everyone was puzzled, and Dilan and Aeleus were worried that someone had evidently managed to sneak into the house in the middle of the night, but strangely, Xehanort was unafraid. He didn't know how he knew, but he was certain that the person that had made the Wayfinder meant him no harm, and he took to wearing it around his neck under his clothes. Just having it on made him feel safer, and to everyone's relief, his nightmares eased and lessened. They didn't go away completely, but they happened with less frequency, and they were not as vivid. He stopped screaming in his sleep, and he stopped needing the sedative. The others thought that he was finally beginning to heal, but he knew better. He knew it had something to do with the Wayfinder.

Nearly a month after he had found it on his nightstand, he finally remembered where he had seen the token before.

He returned to the town hall and found that other Xehanort's birth record and looked at the tiny symbol next to his name, as well as his mother's. He then compared the symbol with the token on his Wayfinder.

They matched exactly.

As he stood there, trying to figure out what it all meant, the archive lady came up to him. Upon seeing the Wayfinder in his hand, she took him by the elbow and began to lead him down the isle.

"Come," she said "Let me show you something." She led him to the back of the room and up a wobbly ladder to the storage area in the building's attic. There in the back, hanging on the wall, was a dusty portrait, and Xehanort gasped in shock when she turned on the flickering light, allowing him to get a good look.

The large canvas depicted a man resting calmly on a large rock while the sea raged around him. Even though the dust, the man's face and body were easy to make out. His white hair spilled in waves down his back, while water droplets shone on his tanned skin, and his brown eyes peered out from the painting with a piercing gaze.

It was almost like looking into a mirror, and in his hand was the Wayfinder that Xehanort had found on his nightstand.

"Behold," the archive lady said quietly "Xehanort, Lord of the Sea."

In his excitement, Xehanort ran home, ignoring that he was still in no shape to be doing so. By the time he reached the house, he was winded and tired, but he was so thrilled at what he had discovered that he ignored it. He found Even in the living room, with his nose in a book. The others were out.

"Even! Even, look! Look at what I found!"

Even nearly dropped his book in surprise; Xehanort hadn't felt or shown excitement since Braig had seriously began to abuse him. "What is it, Xehanort, that's gotten you so excited?"

"Look." With that single word, he shoved the Wayfinder, the other Xehanort's birth record, and a small faded print of the portrait that the archive lady had given him in Even's face. "See? Do you see it?"

Even reared his head back a bit, and dropped his book to take the items out of Xehanort's hands, and he looked at them for a moment as Xehanort waited with bated breath. After a long moment, the blond sighed sadly, and set them down on his lap on top of his book.

"Xehanort," he said heavily, and Xehanort felt his heart sink "this means nothing. I've known about the story of the sea god for months now, and I never told you for fear of you reacting like this. I know that you want to find the family that lost you, and while it is true that Xehanort is an unusual name, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that it exists elsewhere. This," He held up the print. "is just a legend. There are no gods and goddesses, Xehanort. You are not the descendant of this 'Lord Xehanort'. He is not real."

"But I saw him!" Xehanort protested.

Even looked at him strangely. "When?"

"When I was sick and in the hospital. He was there with me."

Even sighed again. "Xehanort," he said patiently "you were very ill then, and you were running a very high fever -"

"I wasn't imagining him! He was really there, Even!"

"- and you were hallucinating."

"I wasn't hallucinating!"

"You were hallucinating, badly, if you remember, or have you forgotten screaming in terror at something in the corner while I held you?"

"He was real! He held me, and he looked just like me!"

"Ah, I think I understand now. Xehanort, your fever was extremely high, and a high fever can affect the brain. When certain parts of the brain are stimulated, it can cause what's called the 'Doppelganger Effect'. It creates the _illusion _of someone that resembles yourself being nearby, and it can make you feel like someone is touching you, but it is _not real_, Xehanort. Do you understand? It wasn't real. There was no one there but me."

"He was there, Even! He talked to me! He held me when you were gone!"

"I am sorry that I left you alone while you were sick, Xehanort, but there's no need to make something up like that."

Xehanort felt the tears forming in his eyes then. "I'm not making it up! Why won't you believe me?"

"Because there is nothing to believe. You were hallucinating, end of story." Even stood up from his chair and tucked the items into a pocket of his jacket. "Now it's time to start supper, so why don't you go wash up and help me?"

Xehanort shook his head as the tears began to fall, "No, I don't want to." and he fled to the back of the house, to the bedroom that he and Even shared. He slammed the door behind him, curled up on his bed, and cried.

Even never came back to check on him.

Xehanort groaned softly as he woke up. He groggily raised his head and realized that he had likely cried himself to sleep on his bed, and a quick glance at the other side of the room showed that Even's bed was empty. He slowly sat up and looked out the window to see that night had fallen, and the moon was shining down on the waves that broke over the beach behind the house. His crying had left his head stuffy and his throat feeling dry, so he got up and wandered out of the room in search of a glass of water.

As he walked down the hall towards the front of the house, he heard Even and Dilan's voices, and then he heard his name mentioned, so he crouched down in the hallway to listen.

"I'm at my wits' end, Dilan." Even said quietly "I don't know what else to do anymore. Now he's insisting that some mythical sea god was in his hospital room with him, even though I know full well that no one was in there but me."

"He wants to find his family so much it's saddening." Dilan replied in a soft voice.

Even sighed. "It's times like these that make me wish that King Mickey had taken us to any other world but this one. As soon as I heard the legend of Xehanort, I knew that it was only a matter of time until Xehanort found out about it, and I knew how he would react. And I was correct; now he's obsessed with it and believes that the Wayfinder was given to him by a mythical entity that doesn't even exist." Even sighed again, and his voice became muffled, as if he was resting his head on his arms. "I don't regret for an instant taking him in and protecting him from Braig, and the lords know that I love him, but..."  
>"He has been a great deal of trouble, hasn't he?"<p>

"I know it's not his fault. Braig is to blame for all of this, and if the bastard were in front of me right now, I'd turn him into an ice sculpture! But really, how many full nights of sleep have we gotten since coming here? How many times have we had to coax him into eating, into sleeping? How many times have we had to tell him that he's safe, that no one will hurt him anymore?"

Now it was Dilan's turn to sigh. "Too many to count."

"I don't know where I'm going to find the energy anymore. At least Ienzo was quiet after his parents died, and his clinginess was much easier to bear."

"Ienzo's parents loved him and didn't abuse him though."

"Xehanort doesn't know what loving parents feel like. Hell, for all we know, his parents could have treated him as badly as Braig did. He doesn't remember anyway." There was a pause, and then Even continued, in a quieter voice. "He's gotten so desperate. He keeps insisting that this must be his homeworld, so therefore, he must have someone that is kin to him here. He's ignoring that there are no records of him, that no one has left the islands in so long, and that no one knows who he is. He's just so needy, and I don't have the energy to take care of him anymore."

Dilan made a noncommittal sound, and Xehanort could picture him nodding slowly in agreement with Even's words.

"Sometimes," Even said after a long moment "Sometimes I wish that he had never been found that day. I wish that Ansem had never taken him in."

Pain erupted in his chest, and Xehanort slumped against the wall. Tears instantly began to trickle down his face, and he stuffed his fist into his mouth to stop the pained wail that wanted to come out as he got to his feet and moved back down the hallway into the bedroom. He quietly shut the door behind him and then began to climb out of the open window. He couldn't stay.

Even didn't want him anymore.

He hopped down to the sandy ground behind the house and ran silently down the beach away from the residential area. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to get away, away from the house, away from Even's words, away from the pain that burned in his heart. He wasn't wanted. He was just Braig's little whore that made life difficult for the others. Maybe, he thought as he ran past the last of the houses and into a forested area that separated the town from the extinct volcanic hills that marked off the north side of the island, it would have been better if he had died on Ansem's desk that night. He knew that it had been King Mickey's healing spell that had saved his life. Maybe the king shouldn't have used it.

He reached the base of the hills, and he used a narrow pathway made by the few islanders that lived on the other side of the hills to scramble up and over them. His lungs burned, and his legs were aching from the exercise, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his broken heart as he kept running, scrabbling down the hills on the other side of the path, though a grove of palm trees, and to a small cove, where he collapsed into a ball of misery and burst into sobs. He knelt on the edge of the small pool as the sea water sloshed around inside with each wave and gasped out his pain as the moonlight shone down on him.

_I wish that he had never been found that day..._

Xehanort let out a gasping cry as Even's words replayed in his mind; he wasn't wanted anymore.

_Is this what it feels like to be rejected by a loving parent?_

But this was so much worse than it had been when Master Ansem had rejected him. Even had promised to always be there, to never leave him, to keep him safe, but now, but now...

He threw his head back and screamed in grief and despair, and he felt something within him break. Something dark, angry, and full of hate rose from somewhere deep within him, and he threw his wounded heart open and welcomed it. Anything was better than the bottomless despair that filled him, and he would take any escape he could from it.

_Finally! _a reedy old voice said, and pain exploded in Xehanort's head as the block on his memories began to break and crumble. He cried out in agony and fell sideways to the sand, as a sense of horror welled up within him. What had he done?

_I don't want this! I don't! Stop! Go away!_

The words were no more effective than they had been with Braig.

He laid on the sand,, staring up at the moon, gasping for air as fire raced through his veins, unable to escape from it.

_Even! I'm so sorry for everything! Please don't leave me! Please don't let this happen!_

But Even wasn't there. No one was around, so there was no one to see him writhing in pain on the sand, no one to hear his tortured screams.

But then, when it seemed that it was about to consume him, it stopped. A pair of arms gently scooped him up from the sand, and he was cradled close to someone's body. A scarred face, with patchy hair, melted ears, and a strip of cloth covering the eyes looked down at him. Xehanort heard an enraged snarl, but the sound faded as the darkness that had surged up within him subsided and settled, leaving him panting in the stranger's embrace. But it wasn't a stranger, no, he knew who it was.

"Lord Xehanort?" he said faintly as a scarred hand brushed his sweat soaked hair out of his face. The face smiled, and though the eyes were covered, he knew that somehow, the man could still see him. The arms around him held him closer, and the raspy voice spoke a single word:

"Yes."

Xehanort wanted to faint, from relief, from exhaustion, from shock, from pain, but he had to know something else first. He had to ask.

"Am I... am I your... descendant?"

Lord Xehanort smiled gently at him. "You are. Now rest, my little one. I will keep you safe."

Xehanort went limp in his ancestor's arms with a sigh, and the world swam away into a blur of color before fading to darkness.

It was the feeling of being cradled and gently rocked, something that Even had done to him so many times, that pulled him from the depths of sleep. He made a soft sound as his eyes fluttered open, and he saw the empty, moonlit beach around him, and he felt Lord Xehanort's arms holding him gently. It had all been real; he hadn't been dreaming it.

"Are you awake, little one?"

Xehanort nodded faintly as he sat up, and he buried his face in the patchy white hair. A warm chuckle sounded in his ear. His inner scientist ran around in panicked circles; he was being held by a _god_, a mythical being that simply _did not exist_, but he shoved it down and sighed at the soothing feel of being held safely in someone's arms.

"I knew you were real." he said quietly after a long moment "I just knew."

He heard the warm chuckle again. "I have watched you since you arrived here. I saw that you had been hurt and were suffering still, so I watched you. Your family loves you, little one, and I saw that they were doing their best to help you."

"I don't have any family anymore, aside from you." Xehanort closed his eyes as Even's words echoed through his mind again. "Even doesn't want me anymore."

"He does, little one. He wants you, and right now, he's worried to death about you and has the entire neighborhood out looking for you. He loves you as if you were his own child, but he's frustrated because he knows that you're hurting, and he doesn't know how to help you."

"But he said that he wished that I hadn't been found."

"He's tired and angry with himself, because he knows he can't take your pain away, no matter how much he wants to. Anger makes one sometimes do and say things you don't mean. Trust me, little one, it's something I know all too well." Lord Xehanort trailed off, sounding sad and regretful, and Xehanort snuggled close and wrapped his arms around him.

"Your brother?" he asked quietly.

Lord Xehanort laughed quietly without humor. "I loved Xehas so much, but due to my own foolish actions, I lost him forever. But that is all in the past, and even I cannot change it. The important thing is you." He squeezed Xehanort gently. "I realized that this was beyond Even's ability to help you when you ran away and hid in the cave. I carried you home when you became ill, and you saw me watching you while you were in the hospital. I wanted to approach you, but..." Lord Xehanort hesitated. "I try to avoid doing anything that will call attention to my descendants."

"Will... someone try to hurt me or something?"

The sea god smiled at him again. "No, Xehanort. Once people know you've been god touched, no one will dare raise a hand to you ever again. No, I was worried about my father."

"Your father? The sun?"

The humorless laugh made a reappearance. "Where do people get these ideas? My father claims dominion over the sun, but the sun itself is just a star that he uses to see the world. But to answer your question, yes, he is angry at me still, so I have to hide from him. I fear though, that since he cannot find me, he may take his anger out on my children if he were to find one. He hasn't done so yet, but I still fear it as a possibility, so I did not wish to draw attention to you. But when you overheard Even's words and fled the house, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer. And when that monster," Lord Xehanort spat out the word "monster" like it was a vile curse. "tried to take over you, I had to stop him. I would not let him take you."

"Who? The darkness I felt; that was him?"

Lord Xehanort nodded, and Xehanort shivered. "Who is he?"

The arms around him held him closer, and Xehanort had the strangest feeling that they were for restraint as much as they were for comfort then. "He is your original persona."

"_What_?" Xehanort looked up at his ancestor's face incredulously "I don't understand."

"He is the person you were before you lost your memory. He was once a good, kind young man, but over time, he became twisted and evil, and he did many horrible things. An accident caused him to lose his memory and be locked away within the heart that you share with him. When you felt enough pain and despair, he used it to try and regain control, but I had no intention of letting that happen. I locked him back away within your heart and made it so he can never awaken, no matter how hard he tries. He will never take you away from me." A soft kiss was placed on his hair then. "I am so glad that the mouse brought you here. If he had awakened on another world, I would not have been able to stop him. Don't try to find anything else about him, little one. Trust me, you do not want to know."

Xehanort tried to process that, but then something occurred to him. "Was his name Xehanort too?"

"It was. He left the islands long ago, when he was still a boy, and when he next came back, he had become a monster. He used a very vile method to extend his life, and in doing so, locked away his memories and sense of self, which created you. It is you that I claim as a child of mine, not him."

"So the Xehanort that I read about in the town hall...?"

"Was you, long ago."

Xehanort shivered, and the sea god held him tightly in his arms. He had so many questions; he didn't know where to start.

"I cannot answer your questions, little one. If it happened off of this world, I do not know about it. The only way I can find out about things is if someone comes back here and thinks about it."

"So you can't tell me about Braig?"

"No, because he has never come here, but if he ever does, I will make him regret that his parents ever met. No one harms one of my children on my watch. No one."

"But what about -?"

"No, Xehanort, I'm not going to tell you anymore about your original self. Believe me when I say that you don't want to know. He was a monster, and I am glad you took his place."

"Are you the only family I have left then?"

"I am your only relative, yes, but I am not your only family. You have Even, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus as well, so don't forget about them."

Xehanort nodded faintly in understanding, and they sat in silence for a long moment, before the twittering of birds fell upon their ears.

"My father will be here soon." Lord Xehanort said sadly "So I must hide myself away out of his sight. I will return you home before I do."

"I want to stay with you."

"Little one, Xehanort, you have a family that is terrified that you threw yourself into the sea and drowned yourself. They love you, and Even is distraught, believing that he has lost you forever. They don't hate you, they want to help you, but they don't know how. They want your nightmares to go away because they don't like seeing you frightened and upset, not because you're bothering them. They sigh and complain because nothing they do is easing your pain, and it upsets them. They love you, Xehanort. Don't ever forget that. They love you very much, and right now they are sick with worry over you."

Xehanort looked up at the sea god's scarred face, at the cloth that covered his eyes. "Truly?" He didn't dare to hope, but... if it was true...

"Yes. They are your family, even if you weren't born to them. They still love you, and they want you home." Xehanort looked at him for a moment. He wished he could see the sea god's eyes, since eyes were so useful for telling truthfulness, but they were covered. Without thinking about it, he reached out to touch the blindfold, but a scarred hand gently took a hold of his own and stopped him.

Lord Xehanort smiled sadly. "There's nothing there, little one. My father saw to that long ago."

"But you can still see me?"

"I can see you without eyes, just as I can hear you without ears. And now," he stood up, still holding Xehanort in his arms. "It is time for you to go home. Dawn is coming."

There was a dizzying swirl of colors and light that last for only a second, perhaps two, and when it ended, they were in the living room on the house. Even was slumped in a chair, asleep, but it was clear that he had been crying before he fell asleep. His face was pale and streaked with tear tracks, and his eyes were ringed with exhausted shadows.

Xehanort was gently set down on his feet. "Go to him." Lord Xehanort urged "Place your hand over his heart. Feel what he feels for you." Xehanort hesitated; what if Even really was tired of him, and he looked back at the sea god, who looked away from the steadily brightening horizon long enough to nod encouragingly "He loves you. Trust me, and look."

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Xehanort nodded and walked up to Even. He knelt down in front of him and reached out a shaking hand and placed it lightly against Even's chest, over his beating heart. The spiritual heart lurked in the same area, so he would be able to feel it there.

"Close your eyes," Lord Xehanort said softly "and feel."

Xehanort took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and for a moment there was nothing, and then a rush of emotions came flooding in. He felt Even's fear, fear that Xehanort had harmed himself, fear that he was gone forever, the grief that the mere thought caused, the desperate hope that he would be brought home safe, his anger at himself for being unable to ease his pain, his frustration, his burning hatred of Braig for causing Xehanort's pain to begin with, and under all of that, he found it.

Xehanort began to cry as he felt Even's love for him. The blond truly loved him as a son, like Lord Xehanort had said, and he leaned forward and laid his head on Even's lap, still holding his hand over his heart.

A delicate, long fingered hand closed over his own then. "Xehanort?"

Xehanort raised his head to see Even looking down at him with tired, yet hopeful eyes. "Even?"

"Oh Xehanort. You're home. You're safe." Even slid out of his chair and down to the floor, and he gathered Xehanort to him and held him tight. "I was so worried."

Xehanort cried as he laid his head on Even's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Even. I'm sorry that I ran away. I'm sorry that I made you worry. I'm sorry that I'm so much trouble."

Even was crying as well. "Don't apologize, Xehanort. Don't cry. It is I who should be apologizing. I love you so much, and I'm sorry if I made you think that I didn't want you. You and Ienzo mean the world to me, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of you. I love you, Xehanort, and I will never ever reject you or leave you."

Xehanort cried as Even held him, and a few minutes later, a child's happy squeal sounded in the room, as a small body impacted with his own. "Xehanort, you're home!" Ienzo shrieked, and Xehanort looped one arm around him. "Don't run away again, okay?"

"I won't, Ienzo, I promise I won't run away again."

Ienzo nodded firmly. "Good."

"Ienzo," Even said "Go find Aeleus or Dilan. Tell them that he's home, and that they can call off the search."

Xehanort winced, and Even hastened to reassure him. "No one will be angry with you. Everyone's been worried that you were hurt, and they'll be glad to know that you're home." Xehanort nodded in understanding, and he sighed as he relaxed in Even's embrace. Not long afterward, Dilan and Aeleus came through the door, and Aeleus hauled him to his feet and engulfed him in his strong arms.

"Don't ever scare us like that again." the redhead said evenly, and Xehanort shook his head. He was then passed off to Dilan, who simply held him tight without saying a word. He was then handed back to Even, who walked him out of the living room towards the bathroom.

"You need a bath, and a meal, and then you're going to bed." the blond told him firmly, and Xehanort nodded. A bath, food, and bed sounded just perfect to him. He took a quick bath while Dilan made him pancakes and toast, and after he had eaten, he crawled into bed. Even tucked him in, but before he left the room to let him sleep, he pulled the Wayfinder out of his pocket, and Xehanort raised his head from the pillow so the cord could be slipped around his neck. He clutched it in one hand, and a feeling of peace and safety washed over him.

_I cannot make your pain go away, little one. All I can do is make it bearable while your heart heals. Rest now, and know that I love you and will be watching you. If you need me, I'll be there. _

Xehanort smiled as he closed his eyes, and Even sat beside him and soothingly stroked his hair until he fell asleep.

"Even?"

"Hmmm?"

"Love you too."

He felt Even's weight shift, and he felt a kiss being placed on his temple. "Rest now, Xehanort. Your family is here with you."

Xehanort nestled down into the soft mattress and allowed himself to be lulled by Even's hand on his hair and by the weight of the Wayfinder in his hand, and he fell asleep there, safe and secure, surrounded by family.

**O****OOOOO**

**Now that that is done with... *goes back to Dream Drop Distance***


	8. The Price: Rescue

**Direct sequel/in betweenqel to Despair, which explains what happened between Xehanort throwing himself into the falls and Even seeing Terra in Radiant Garden and what follows.**

**A/N: *swings Angst Mallet around* Woobie!Xehanort again, big time. You have been warned.**

**A/N 2: A huge thanks to GypsyKate, whose short little ficcy "Under Geas" gave me the idea I needed and got this fic moving again. :)**

_Xehanort closed his eyes and simply leaned forward. After less than a second, he felt gravity exert its pull on his body, and his feet left the ledge. He felt the cold, damp wind on his face, felt himself falling, heard the roaring of the water growing louder and closer._

_And then nothing._

**OOOOOO**

Terra scrabbled for purchase on the wet rock as he dragged himself up onto a smaller ledge below the one that Xehanort had thrown himself off of just a moment before. He hauled himself away from the edge and the pull of the water and leaned against the back wall while he tried to catch his breath. He was soaked and shivering, and his shoulders ached painfully from where he had reached out at the last second and grabbed the ledge.

During two years of waiting and watching for an opportunity to take back his body, he had never expected that the chance would happen in such a way. He had watched as Braig had taken advantage of Xehanort's naivety and innocence and used him like a toy to be broken and thrown away. He had watched for months, wishing desperately that he could do something, or at least close his eyes and ears, so he wouldn't have to see Braig's face, lustful and grinning as he pounded Xehanort hard, or hear Xehanort's cries as the sharpshooter tore him apart inside.

He had felt Xehanort's relief when Lord Ansem had found them, and he had shared Xehanort's heartbreak when Lord Ansem and the others had rejected him, blamed him, and called him a whore that deserved what had happened to him No one, no one at all, deserved what Xehanort had suffered, and Terra had tried desperately to call out to him, to talk him out of killing them both, as he stood on the ledge, preparing to step off. If Xehanort had heard, he ignored Terra's words, but thankfully, Terra had used his misery and despair to wrench control back just in time to grab the ledge.

Terra leaned back against the rock. He was hidden from anyone that may walk in by a curtain of rising water. Above him was the larger ledge that Xehanort had fallen from, and the two ledges and water formed a small little cave that would suffice until he figured out what to do. He couldn't go back to the castle obviously, even though he really, _really_ wanted to shove his keyblade so far up Braig's ass, one could see the tip of it when the bastard opened his mouth. No, he would have to leave Radiant Garden, but that would require he find a keyblade first. He knew that he did not have his own, but he also knew that Aqua's had been in Xehanort's possession.

So, it seemed he would have to go back to the castle after all. Well first things first.

He raised his hand. "Heal." and he felt the pain in his shoulders as well as the pain in his lower body from the repeated rapes dull and fade. He was still fairly weak; Xehanort had starved himself badly, but it would tide him over until he could get some food.

And a shower.

And some dry clothes.

And a hot cup of coffee.

And, once he was dried off and warmed up, ice cream.

Figuring it was time to get moving, Terra moved to a crouch and pulled Xehanort's heavy lab coat off. He spent a moment looking at the white fabric and remembering how happy Xehanort had been to receive it. It had meant that he had a home and a family, something that he had longed for ever since he had woken up in the castle infirmary. Terra wiped a few tears out of his own eyes and then threw the coat into the water. He knew that the current would eventually pull it into the very vortex that Xehanort had hoped to die in and shred it. He hoped it would be enough to fool everyone into thinking that he was dead. He also pulled off the gray vest, though he simply left it lying on the ledge. He also pulled the boots off, as their heavy weight would make it harder to swim out, though the upward flow of the current would make that a little easier at least. He then reached for the ascot tied around his neck, but then he paused.

_Please... please..._

Terra cocked his head to the side. "Xehanort?" he asked softly.

There was a soft sob. _Please... It hurts so much. Please, stop... no more..._

He felt his own heart wrench with pity as he realized that Xehanort was, at least, partially aware within him, and evidently, still in pain. He placed his hand over where Xehanort's heart was resting beside his own, and a wave of grief, misery, and despair washed over him. It was no surprise that Xehanort had chosen to end it rather that keep living. Strangely enough, he couldn't sense or feel Master Xehanort at all. Was the keyblade master gone, leaving Xehanort in control of his heart? Terra had no idea, though he knew someone that might be able to tell him, but first he had to get out of Radiant Garden.

"Xehanort," he said softly, gently, and cries quieted briefly. "It will be alright. Go to sleep, and it will stop hurting soon." The ache under his hand eased, and Xehanort fell silent as his heart went to sleep. It wasn't locked away completely, so he could awake again at any moment, but Terra wasn't worried about that. In his fragile mental state, it was impossible for Xehanort to seize control back, even if the thought crossed his mind, and Terra had a feeling that Xehanort was in too much pain to contemplate it.

Distractions gone for the moment, Terra leapt into the water and swam up with the current to the upper ledge, where he climbed up and walked out of the area, heading back in the direction of the castle. As he walked barefoot down the streets, he took the ascot off, but instead of throwing it away, he stuffed it in a pocket to hold on to. The purple fabric would serve as a reminder to him. Master Xehanort had been a complete monster, and Terra hated him with a burning passion, but Xehanort had been an innocent man caught in a terrible situation, and Terra did not want to forget him.

He reached the castle easily, and he padded inside to Xehanort's rooms. Xehanort didn't have much in the way of casual clothes – on his days off he simply lounged around in his black pants and an untucked shirt with no ascot – but at least what he did have was clean, and after grabbing a change of clothes from the dressier (And barricading the door in case Braig decided to drop in again.) Terra wandered into the bathroom to take a shower. Once he was clean, he dragged a brush through his hair, made a mental note to cut the extra length off as soon as he had a chance, dressed himself, stuffed the ascot in a pocket, slipped on a pair of socks and comfortable shoes that were in Xehanort's closet, and unblocked the door. He poked his head out into the hallway, and seeing no one about, he stepped out and headed towards the kitchens. On the way, he passed Braig's rooms, and he couldn't stop the angry snarl that appeared on his face as he heard the bastard snoring on the other side of his partially open door, like he hadn't a care in the world. Within him, Xehanort whimpered softly before quieting, and Terra mentally added "Get justice for Xehanort." to his To-Do List.

He made it down to the kitchens and quickly made himself a light meal of soup and a sandwich and ate it slowly, so not to make himself sick. He then returned to Xehanort's rooms, where he found Aqua's keyblade and armor in a storage trunk in the back of the closet. Stormfall felt awkward to him; it was meant for a magic user like Aqua, not a tank like him, but it would function just fine until he could reclaim Ends of the Earth. He couldn't do anything with the armor, so he reluctantly left it behind as he used the keyblade to open up passageway into the lanes between. He then changed the keyblade into its glider form and left Radiant Garden without a backward glance.

It was a short trip to the Mysterious Tower, which he was glad for as even that short flight sapped him of what little energy he had. He had to drag himself up the spiral stairs to the top, where he found Master Yen Sid seated behind his desk as usual.

"Terra," the man said evenly, though his eyes belied his true feelings. The man was genuinely happy to see him. "I am relieved to see you again. I see that you have regained control from Master Xehanort."

Terra tried to stand at attention, but his body was shaking from exhaustion and starvation, and Master Yen Sid apparently noticed, for a chair scuttled up from behind him, and he practically fell into it.

"Master Yen Sid," he said after a moment in which he'd had to fight the urge to close his eyes and go to sleep "Can you tell me what happened to Aqua and Ven? I remember that the X-blade was forged, and I think Aqua and Master Xehanort fought, but I don't know what happened after that."

The keyblade master nodded. "I do not know what became of Aqua, though I believe that she lives still." he replied in a monotone "Ventus' heart was badly damaged by the destruction of the X-blade, and his heart fled his body."

"So he's... dead?"

"No, he is not dead, merely comatose until his heart returns. Aqua took him and hid him away before going to confront Master Xehanort. Unfortunately, I do not know where she hid him at."

Terra slumped down in his chair and was silent for a long moment as he processed what he had been told. Tears began to form in his eyes but his blinked them away. Now what was he going to do?

"Terra," Master Yen Sid continued "I see that Master Xehanort's heart is still within you, yet I sense no darkness radiating from it."

"I do not understand it either, Master Yen Sid." Terra shook his head and tried to ignore the wave of dizziness that the motion caused "I think that I began to fight Master Xehanort's control, and he used his keyblade to seal both of our hearts away. I could watch, but do nothing."

"That must have been terrible to be trapped in such a way."

"Master Xehanort was trapped with me," Terra added, and he then went on to explain about Xehanort and how the apprentice had no memories. He also explained how Braig had taken advantage of the foundling and abused him for so long, and how his surrogate family had turned on him and driven him to attempt suicide.

"I was able to seize control back at the last moment and stop him from killing us both," Terra said "so I cleaned up and came here. I can't sense Master Xehanort though, and he quit speaking to me not long after Xehanort woke; I don't know if he's gone or just buried deep."

"I can no longer sense him." Master Yen Sid said quietly "It may be possible that his sense of self was lost when the new Xehanort was born. Tell me, is that Xehanort still within you?"

"He is, and he's in a lot of pain. I could hear him crying not long after I took control back."

Master Yen Sid closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment. "Sadly there is little we can do for him. Right now, Terra, you must rest and heal from the abuse and neglect suffered while Xehanort was in control. We can decide what to do once you are strong again." He pointed to a door off to the right, which unlocked and swung open on quiet hinges. "Through there you will find a place you can rest. Go."

Too tired to argue even if he had wanted to, Terra managed to drag himself out of the chair and through the door that Master Yen Sid had indicated. Inside was a wash basin, which he ignored, and a bed, which he promptly collapsed in after kicking off Xehanort's shoes. Too tired to bother with the blankets, he was asleep within seconds.

**OOOOOO**

_Please Braig, I don't want this anymore._

_I said no: why won't you leave me alone?_

_Ow, ow ow! Stop! Gods, stop, it hurts!_

_Please stop! No more, no more! You're hurting me!_

_Because I'm a whore, and no one will care what happens to me._

**OOOOOO**

Terra sat up in bed with a gasp. He could hear Xehanort sobbing quietly, and he wiped the tears away from his own eyes as he thought about the dream that he had just had. There had been no images, just the sound of Xehanort's voice as he cried and pleaded with Braig and the despair as he intoned the sentence that the marksman had rammed into his mind.

Sadly, Braig had been right. Terra gently placed his hand over Xehanort's heart and felt the latter's grief wash over him. No one had cared. No one had stood by Xehanort once the truth had come out. No one had protected him, and they had all stood back and allowed the abuse to continue.

"It will alright, Xehanort." Terra said quietly, and the sobs abated for a moment. "I'll make things right somehow."

_I just wanted it to stop. Why... why does it still hurt?_

"You need to sleep, Xehanort. It won't hurt while you're asleep."

_It will stop hurting?_

"It will."

Xehanort fell silent then, and a few seconds later, Terra felt the grief and pain fade as the heart went back to sleep.

Terra held his hand over his heart for a moment. "I promise that I'll make this right, Xehanort. I won't let Braig get away with what he did to you."

**OOOOOO**

Terra spent the next few days doing little more than sleeping and eating. He also cut his hair back to how it had been before the possession, and he did spend some time speaking to Master Yen Sid about Xehanort and Master Xehanort. The two of them could not sense the keyblade master, no matter how hard they tried, so they tentatively concluded that the old man was gone. Xehanort was clearly still there, though he had been silent since Terra had last spoken to him. His heart was sleeping, though flickering images from his memories frequently appeared in Terra's dreams.

Master Yen Sid continued to say that little could be done for Xehanort, but when Terra asked what he meant exactly by "little" Master Yen Sid said he had only rumors and conjecture and would say no more on the matter.

Four days after he had arrived, exhausted and weak, at the Mysterious Tower, Terra decided that it was time to start moving again. He couldn't do much, as he had no idea where Aqua was, and while he had a general idea where Ven was, without his heart, nothing could be done for him. So he opted to try and start making good on his promise to Xehanort.

But first he needed to get Ends of the Earth back.

He could vaguely remember Master Xehanort battling his animated armor, though he was at a complete loss as to how that was possible. Even Master Yen Sid was clueless on the matter. He didn't know what it would take to reclaim his keyblade and armor, and it was with more than a little trepidation that he returned to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he found his armor, kneeling in the middle of a large circular plateau, leaning on the keyblade. He held Stormfall out, ready to defend, because he simply had no idea if the armor would attack him or not.

The armor stood as he approached, but it made no move to attack. Instead it only knelt down in front of him and offered Ends of the Earth to him, hilt first. He slowly reached out, and upon grasping the hilt, his armor fell away to land on the ground in a discarded pile. Terra smiled as the warmth blossomed in his heart when he picked up the keyblade that he had first summoned at the age of eleven, and he spent a moment savoring the feeling before a quiet whimper from Xehanort reminded him that he had other things to do. He quickly gathered up his armor and replaced the shoulder piece that allowed him to summon and dismiss it. He checked it a few times to make sure that it was all in place, and then he summoned it, summoned his glider, and returned to the Mysterious Tower.

Master Yen Sid smiled at him approvingly when he walked in with his keyblade and armor, and Terra walked in to his little room and carefully stowed Aqua's keyblade away. As he was doing that, he spotted the strip of purple fabric that was Xehanort's ascot lying on a nearby table. He picked it up and looked at it; it represented so much.

_Xehanort laughing as he tried to tie the complicated knot for the first time, and Even fussing over him as he showed him how to do it properly. _

_Master Ansem proudly straightening the folds of the fabric as Xehanort walked into the labs for the first time. "You're one of us now, Xehanort."_

_Dilan scolding him teasingly about looking his best as he sat for his portrait, after the painter noted that the ascot's folds were difficult to paint accurately._

_Ienzo gleefully using it for a swing, laughing at how his actions nearly sent Xehanort crashing to the floor, even as he laughed along with the boy._

Terra shook his head and carefully tied the fabric around Ends of the Earth's hilt, easily tying the ascot knot that he had watched Xehanort do so many times. It would serve as a reminder to him. Until the promise was kept, he would keep it on his keyblade.

The following day, Terra made the quick flight to Radiant Garden, where he wandered the town and tried to ignore Xehanort's soft cries. He'd noticed that whenever he saw or heard something from Xehanort's life, the latter's heart would wake, and he would cry until he either cried himself back to sleep, or until Terra was able to soothe him. Since stopping in the middle of a crowded street to speak to him wasn't an option, Terra had to try and ignore Xehanort's pain as he walked through town towards the ice cream parlor that Ansem and Ienzo favored.

It was there that he spotted Even and Ienzo, seated on the terrace, enjoying the frozen treat. Or, at least, Ienzo was enjoying it. Even, on the other hand, looked miserable. The blond looked haggard and haunted, and the guilt was plainly visible in his dull green eyes even from the distance away that Terra was standing. Xehanort wailed in pain, and in that instant, Even looked up.

Green eyes met blue, and Terra saw the hope in Even's eyes before it was quashed by the Senior Apprentice's realization that it wasn't Xehanort standing there. Terra smiled gently at him, glad to see that someone was grieving for Xehanort, and then he walked away when Even turned to look at Ienzo.

As he walked through town, Terra came to the sad realization that Even appeared to be the only one that grieved for Xehanort. He heard whispers of his suicide all over town, but the general feeling seemed to be of disdain and good riddance. Xehanort's cries grew louder and more distressed at each whisper, and his pain only increased when Terra spotted Braig outside one of the local pubs, soaking up the sympathy from local women who lamented that "that monster" had gotten away with taking advantage of him so long.

It was that that finally forced Terra to duck into a quiet spot between buildings, and he spent a long moment trying to quiet Xehanort and coax him back to sleep before the sound of Braig's voice coming closer forced him to leave the world altogether.

He made the flight back to the Mysterious Tower deep in thought. Even was grieving for Xehanort and appeared to be feeling guilt for his part in driving him to the point of suicide. Braig was still spreading his lies around town, and Terra knew that he would have to do something about that, force the bastard to confess or something.

By the time he made it back to the Mysterious Tower, Xehanort was sleeping quietly once more, and Terra received a surprise when he walked into Master Yen Sid's study. Inside was not only the retired keyblade master but three human looking fairies, each wearing a different color of clothing, and an elderly wizard that he remembered vaguely from books that he read as a boy.

"Terra," Master Yen Sid said seriously "We may have found a solution for Xehanort's current predicament."

"It is quite simple," the wizard – Merlin, Terra finally remembered "All it takes is a great deal of magic, and we can free Xehanort's heart from your body and give him physical form."

"The poor dear will remember what he suffered however." the blue dressed fairy said "but I'm sure that you'll be there to help him."

Terra nodded, a little stunned.

"Do you wish to do this, Terra?" Master Yen Sid asked levelly "If you do, you must be aware that Xehanort will need much care and attention from you."

"His wounded heart will need time to heal," the green clad fairy said "and he will need your support and protection."

"He will be weak and dependent on you to care for him at first," the red clothed fairy added "but he will grow in strength quickly."

"Do you wish to do this, Terra?" Master Yen Side asked again.

_No!_ Xehanort wailed _I don't want it! I want it all to stop! Please don't!_

Terra nodded. "Yes, I'll do it."

Xehanort began to sob, and Terra felt a stab of guilt, but he ignored it as Merlin gestured him over to a series of runes and other strange symbols drawn onto the floor beside Master Yen Sid's desk.

"Now lie down." the wizard instructed "This may make you a bit dizzy." Terra gave Merlin a strange look but did as he was told, lying down in the center of the strange symbols. "You might want to close your eyes too."

Terra sighed and closed his eyes, while Xehanort cried in protest over what was about to happen. Around him he heard words being chanted in five voices and felt the tingle of magic over his skin. A few moments later, he began to see light through his eyelids, and even with his eyes closed, it was blindingly bright. Xehanort's cries began to fade as if he was moving away, and Terra felt a pulling sensation in his chest as Xehanort's heart was extracted. The light brightened even more, and then he felt something solid lying on the floor beside him. The light then faded, and he felt movement from whatever it was beside him, heard a sharp intake of breath, and then he heard Xehanort begin to cry.

Terra opened his eyes and sat up to see Xehanort, naked, shivering, and crying, on the floor beside him, and he hastily gathered him to him as Master Yen Sid and the others left the room to give them some privacy. One of the fairies paused long enough to drape a blanket over Xehanort's naked body, and then she too scurried out. Terra awkwardly held Xehanort close to him and tucked the blanket around him as the latter cried.

"It will be alright, Xehanort." Terra said quietly "I'll take care of you." Xehanort simply sobbed and clung to Terra's shirt, and he quickly cried himself to sleep.

Master Yen Sid walked into the room then, and the retired keyblade master easily scooped Xehanort up and carried him into the bedroom, where he laid him down on the bed. He then waved his long fingers over him in a complicated gesture, and Xehanort's still form was surrounded by a white glow for a brief moment before it faded.

"What was that?" Terra asked.

"A spell," Master Yen Side said heavily without taking his eyes off of Xehanort "to prevent him from harming himself." The master turned to him then. "Are you sure that you want to do this, Terra? You have seen what he is like. Are you certain that you can care for him?"

"I have to, Master Yen Sid. I'm all that he has left. I won't let Braig hurt him again."

Master Yen Sid nodded his head. "Very well then." and then he walked out of the room. The three fairies then came in, and the three of them conjured a simple white calf length nightshirt and socks for Xehanort to wear (though they bickered a great deal over the color before Terra reminded them that they were going to wake Xehanort up if they didn't knock it off.), and Terra then carefully dressed him and tucked him into bed.

Xehanort whimpered softly as he settled down, and Terra sat down beside him, doing what Master Eraqus had done for him so many times whenever he had been upset, frightened, or ill as a child.

"I won't let Braig hurt you again, Xehanort." he said quietly "I'll get him to admit to what he did to you somehow."

**OOOOOO**

A week later, Terra opened the door to the bedroom that he and Xehanort had been given by Master Yen Sid to use and walked in to see Xehanort sitting silently on the edge of his bed, just as he had been when Terra had left the room a few minutes before.

Xehanort had become a living doll. He wouldn't move, talk, walk, feed himself, or do anything without being prompted by Terra first. After his bout of crying when he had been brought out, he had remained mostly silent, though he cried in his sleep from time to time. Terra had to spoon feed him, dress him, bathe him, carry him to the bathroom, and tuck him into bed at night, and then get him up in the morning, otherwise, he would have just laid there, lifeless. There was no light in his eyes, and his face was completely blank. Master Yen Sid assured him that Xehanort's near catatonic state was due to trauma, and that, once he felt he was safe, he would come out of it, but Terra had his doubts.

He sat down in the chair that he had drawn up to the bed earlier and set the bowl of oatmeal that he had brought down on the nightstand. He then tucked a napkin into the collar of Xehanort's nightshirt, like a bib, and picked up the oatmeal.

"Are you hungry, Xehanort?" he asked, but of course, as usual, the white haired man gave no indication that he had heard. With a quiet sigh, he spooned up the oatmeal and held the spoon to Xehanort's mouth. "Open up." There was a long pause, and then Xehanort slowly parted his lips just enough for Terra to get the spoon in and dump the warm oatmeal in his mouth, and he reflexively swallowed. Some of it dribbled out onto the bib, but Terra ignored it and brought up the next spoonful. Xehanort sat still and silent and allowed Terra to spoon feed him, and once the bowl was empty, Terra sat it aside and wiped the split oatmeal off of Xehanort's face.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" He had already taken him earlier before he had gone to get the oatmeal, but he asked anyway. If he did not take him, Xehanort would simply let go wherever he was. Of course, he did not answer or respond to Terra's question. "Are you ever going to speak to me, Xehanort?" Again, as usual, there was no response, and Terra sighed and began to get him ready for the day.

They night after Xehanort had been brought out, Terra had gone back to Radiant Garden and raided his room for clothing for him to wear, and he had nearly given himself away when he heard Braig bitching to himself about not having Xehanort around to play with anymore. It had taken every ounce of strength that he possessed not to go murder the bastard where he stood.

Terra shook his head as he stripped Xehanort out of his nightshirt and dressed him in a shirt and a pair of pants that he had taken from Radiant Garden. He then slipped shoes and socks onto his feet and combed his hair before scooping him up into his arms and carrying him from the room. He carried him through the study and down the spiral stairs to the front door. Once out in the still air outside the tower, he set Xehanort down on his feet in the grass and put one arm around his shoulders in support.

"Can you walk for me?" Terra asked as he gently pushed Xehanort forward, while keeping his other arm out in case the latter fell. After a moment, Xehanort took a shuffling step forward, followed by another, and Terra kept an arm around him as he slowly walked him around the courtyard. "That's very good, Xehanort; let's keep walking."

Xehanort remained impassive and silent as they walked around, but then he suddenly stopped with a frightened whimper. Terra looked at him in confusion, but then he felt it: the feeling of wrongness that accompanied the Heartless. A second later, he heard the sound of them portaling in, and he pushed Xehanort down onto the ground by the base of the tower wall and stood in front of him. Ends of the Earth appeared in his hand, and he turned the face the Heartless as they rushed him. The moderate sized group of Neoshadows would normally not be a problem for him, but he had to stay in front of Xehanort and stop them from going around and getting to him, which made things much more difficult.

So absorbed in taking them down, he failed to notice that they were slowly leading him away from the castle wall, away from Xehanort, and it wasn't until he heard a terrified scream behind him that he realized his mistake. He spun around in time to see one of them push Xehanort down onto his back and climb up onto his chest, where it dug its claws in, searching for his heart. Xehanort screamed in pain and fear as Terra charged the Heartless, and a ball of fire from his keyblade knocked it away. Xehanort went limp on the grass, gasping, his eyes wide, and Terra felt a moment's relief that he still had his heart as he destroyed the last of the Heartless.

Xehanort reached out to him, crying, and Terra was thrilled to see such behavior, even as he cast a Curaga over him to heal the cuts and scratches from the Heartless that had attacked him.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he gathered Xehanort into his arms and tried to ignore the acrid stink of urine from where Xehanort had wet himself in terror. Xehanort didn't answer, instead he only cried as Terra stood up and carried him inside and up the stairs.

Later, while he was tucking him into bed for a nap after a bath and a change of clothes, Terra noted that while he had gone silent, there was light in Xehanort's eyes again. It was the light of lingering fear, but it was something other than complete lack of emotion that he had been showing before, so it was a welcome change. He smoothed Xehanort's hair down and went to stand up, but a hand suddenly shot out from under the blankets and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Don't go." Xehanort said weakly as he slowly turned his head to look up at him "Please don't leave me alone."

Terra smiled gently at him as sat back down on the bed. "I won't leave you, Xehanort." he said as he took the other's hand and squeezed it gently "I'll stay right here with you."

Xehanort managed a feeble smile. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?"

"No," Xehanort lowered his gaze, looking sad "I don't remember anything before Master Ansem found me."

"You don't remember me at all?"

"No. Should I? Are you part of my family? Are we related? You do look very similar to me."

Terra couldn't miss the desperate longing in Xehanort's voice, nor could he miss the conclusion that Xehanort _did not remember being trapped while Terra was in control_. Seeing the white haired man looking at him, brown eyes filled with hope, he realized that he couldn't crush that, no matter how much he would have to lie.

"Yes," he said after a moment, and Xehanort's face lit up with a dazzling smile "We're brothers, and I've been looking for you for nearly three years."

Xehanort actually _giggled_ then. "Brothers? Who's older then? Where are our parents? What is our home world?"

Terra laughed at the barrage of questions – it gave him time to make up some answers. "Slow down, slow down. You're older, but only by a few minutes. We're twins. We were living in the Land of Departure with Master Eraqus, Aqua, and Ventus, though we aren't from there. When we were very small, Master Eraqus found us abandoned on the streets of our homeworld and took us in. We were young enough that neither of us could remember our parents. We snuck out once to try and find them, but all we found was a heap of trouble, so we never went back."

He could see Xehanort eagerly soaking up his words. "Then what happened? Why did we get separated?"

Terra closed his eyes for a moment -

_I just... wanted to keep Ven safe._

_- _and when he opened them, Xehanort was looking at him intently, with worry creeping into his expression. "Master Eraqus knew someone that had gone dark and evil." _Your past incarnation,_ he thought but didn't say. "He killed Master Eraqus and then destroyed the world. The four of us were separated and scattered to other worlds, and I've been looking for you ever since."

"Why?" Xehanort licked his lips, looking vaguely ill. "Why did he do that?"

"I don't know. I didn't see him when I was looking for you, so Master Yen Sid and I think that he's gone."

"What about Ventus and Aqua?"

"I haven't found them yet."

"How..." Xehanort hesitated for a second. "How did you find me?"

Terra smiled gently at him. "I arrived in Radiant Garden and heard people talking about you, but when I asked, no one had anything good to say."

"So you know about... about..." He gestured helplessly for a moment and then continued in a very small voice. "about me being Braig's whore?"

Terra sat him up and wrapped his arms around him. "I know what I was told, but I won't know anything until you tell me, and for the record, I don't believe that you could be anything of the sort." _Because I __watched the entire thing, and it was rape, plain and simple._ "I found you as you were walking through town, and I caught you as you were falling into the Rising Falls. You passed out in my arms, so I brought you here to rest and heal."

Xehanort looked down at the floor then, and the shame was clearly written across his face. Terra placed two fingers under his chin and gently raised his head up until their eyes met. "Want to tell me what happened?" He knew, of course, but Xehanort didn't know that, so he had to play the part and ask. Xehanort turned away and was silent for a long moment. "Xehanort?"

Xehanort began to tremble, and Terra heard a quiet sob. "I.. I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because if I do, you won't want me anymore."

"Whatever happened to you, Xehanort, I'm not going to judge you. I'm not going to reject you. You are my brother, and I've been searching for you for too long to throw you away. Now tell me what happened."

Xehanort shivered, turned back to face him, and leaned into his embrace, and Terra knew that he was reaching out for one last bit of comfort before he was rejected. "What happened, Xehanort?"

"Did... did we know someone named Braig?" Xehanort asked quietly.

Terra nodded. "Not very well. He worked with the man that destroyed the Land of Departure. Why?"

"Because he said he knew me, and that he would tell me about my past if I paid the price."

"Which was?"

"To let him... have sex with me." Xehanort began to cry, so Terra pulled him closer, and Xehanort spilled out everything then: the small snippets of information, Braig's frequent visits to his room, his refusals that were ignored, being caught, being blamed for it all, Master Ansem's rejection, the shunning from the other apprentices, the hostility of the townspeople, and finally Master Ansem's angry insistence that it was all his fault and that he had brought it on himself.

"I just wanted it to stop hurting." Xehanort sobbed as Terra gently rocked him and rubbed his back "No one cared about me anymore, and Braig wouldn't leave me alone. I wanted it to all go away." Xehanort dissolved into fresh tears, and Terra awkwardly pulled him onto his lap and cradled him. Xehanort curled close to him and cried while Terra tried to soothe him, and it wasn't until several minutes later that he began to quiet. He mopped his face with the sleeve of his nightshirt while Terra sat him back down on the bed.

"When Braig told you what the price was," he asked as Xehanort leaned against him "did you understand what he meant? Did you know what he was asking of you?"

It was the one thing that had frustrated Terra to no end during the months of abuse. Xehanort had _no_ memories to draw upon, none at _all,_ which left him very naïve and innocent in regards to many things. He knew what sex was, as well as the mechanics of it, but in the same manner a child would know about it. He really had not understood what Braig had asked of him, not until it was too late. No one else had realized that fact, that Xehanort was a child in many ways. Asking a child if they want to have sex may get an affirmative answer, but that doesn't make it right or mean that the child is to blame.

Xehanort shook his head slightly. "No, not really. I knew what he was asking, but I didn't know exactly what he was going to do to me until..." He trailed off with a shudder and looked up at Terra. "Is it my fault? Are you angry with me?"

"No, I'm not angry with you, and no, it's not your fault. Braig should have never asked you that. You didn't understand what he was asking of you, and he probably knew that, which means he was taking advantage of you. The others should have protected you once they realized what was happening, and they failed you there. They should have stopped the abuse, not allowed it to continue." Xehanort's face crumpled as he began to cry again, this time in relief, and Terra coaxed him into lying down with his head on his lap, and he soothingly stroked the white hair as Xehanort cried. "I still love you, Xehanort, and I will never allow that monster to touch you again. If I ever see him again, he will regret every time he laid his hands on you."

Xehanort cried himself to sleep on Terra's lap, and Terra carefully, so not to wake him up, laid him down and covered him with the blankets. He then quietly stepped out of the room into the study, where he found Master Yen Sid at his desk.

"I see that he has come around." the elderly keyblade master said, and Terra nodded as he sat down in his usual chair in front of the desk.

"A Heartless attack brought him out of it." Terra raked his fingers back through his hair. "He can't remember me, Master Yen Sid. He doesn't remember the time he spent with me in control, but he noticed how alike we look, so I made up a story about us being twins. I couldn't tell him the truth, not after everything that he's been through."

Master Yen Sid nodded in agreement. "Perhaps that is best. The support of a loving family is always important when recovering from trauma."

Terra nodded. "I need to find a way to get Braig to admit what he did. I can't let him get away with it. He tortured Xehanort for months, and no one batted an eye at him once they were found out."

"I am certain that you will think of something." Master Yen Sid changed the subject then, though Terra's thoughts kept drifting back towards the person sleeping in the bedroom nearby.

That night, as he laid in his own bed and tried to sleep, he heard Xehanort stir and then get up. A second later, Terra felt his weight settle down on the bed beside him, and he opened his eyes to see Xehanort lying next to him, eyes alight with curiosity.

"Tell me more." the latter whispered "I want to know all about us, about Master Eraqus, Ventus, and Aqua. Please tell me."

Terra smiled faintly. "Just after Ventus came to live with us, the four of us invented a board game. We just called it the Command Board, because we used cards with attacks we had learned written on them for game pieces. We played it so much that Master Eraqus had to forbid us from playing for a while because we were neglecting chores and training to play." Xehanort laughed quietly, and Terra continued. "We finally convinced him to try it one night, and he proceeded to slaughter all of us." Xehanort laughed again, and Terra felt his own heart gladden to see him doing something other than crying. "Master Eraqus told us once that the four of us could take the simplest task and make it as complex as possible, just to see if we could. Our preferred method of watering the garden consisted of Aqua summoning a ball of water, and then you and I would launch Ven into the air, so he could hit it with his keyblade, which caused it to break apart and rain down on the garden."

Xehanort nestled close and tucked his head under Terra's chin, while Terra continued to tell stories, inserting Xehanort into them when needed. Xehanort smiled and laughed more in those few hours than he had in months, and eventually he fell asleep in Terra's arms, still wearing a slight smile on his face.

**OOOOOO**

Over the next several days, as Xehanort regained his strength (The spell that had been used to give him physical form basically made a copy of Terra's body, with Xehanort's own heart inside. So he had all the scarring and weight loss that Terra had as well.) Terra often wondered what to do about Braig and the others. He knew that he needed to get Braig to confess somehow, but if Ansem thought that Braig had been forced in any way, he would disregard any confession. Of course, Terra could simply appear at the castle one day and demand why they thought it was acceptable to allow his brother to be abused, but one wrong word from Braig could destroy that. He knew well that the only "siblings" that Terra had were Aqua and Ven.

What he needed was someone that Xehanort trusted, someone that would help Terra figure the best way to get Braig to admit to all the abuse. What he needed was -

Soft sniffling interrupted his thoughts, and he walked out of the study into the bedroom, where he found Xehanort kneeling on the window seat and looking up at the sky, with tears pouring down his face.

"Xehanort?" he asked quietly as he sat down beside him "What's wrong?"

Xehanort slowly turned away from the window to look at him. "I miss Even, Terra. I really miss him." Then he began to cry as Terra wrapped his arms around him and tried to soothe him. After a few minutes, he was able to walk Xehanort back to bed and tuck him in, and he sat on the bed beside him as he fell asleep, thinking.

Who he needed, he realized, as Xehanort settled down with a sigh, was Even.

**OOOOOO**

The following night, once Xehanort was sound asleep, Terra made the short flight to Radiant Garden again, timing his arrival so he would arrive once the town had gone to sleep for the night. Before he had departed the Mysterious Tower, Master Yen Sid had given him a Black Coat for Even to wear on the return flight if he did decide to accompany Terra back. The coat, he said, would protect Even's heart from the darkness in the Lanes Between.

Terra landed his glider in front of the castle's front doors, glad to see that they kept no late night guards as usual. It made things much easier for him. He dismissed the glider, and, after slinging the coat over his shoulder, walked up to the front doors and used his keyblade to open them. Once inside, he walked the familiar path through the dark, silent halls to the apprentices' apartments. To his surprise, and disgust, there was light coming from Xehanort's old rooms, and a quick check confirmed that Ansem had already replaced him. Shaking his head, he walked over to Even's door and eased it open.

He was surprised a second time when him found him awake inside, seated in a chair by his fireplace. In the light of a single lamp, the Senior Apprentice looked terrible. He was unwashed and ungroomed, and his clothes looked as though he'd been wearing them for days. Even from his place by the door, Terra could smell the whiskey, and Even's face, which had always been thin, now looked positively gaunt.

Terra slowly walked up to him, not sure how the ice elemental would react, but at the same time, he was glad that he had decided to go find him. It was clear that Even's guilt over Xehanort's supposed death was eating him alive, and it was also clear that again, no one was doing anything about it. Terra remembered well Even's gentle care and concern for Xehanort when the latter was in the infirmary recovering, and in many ways, the blond was as much of a parental figure to Xehanort as he was to Ienzo, and it made Terra's heart ache to see him in such a state.

"Are you haunting me, Xehanort?" Even asked in a low voice as he raised bloodshot eyes that were ringed with shadows to look at Terra as he approached "Do you want me to hurt as much as you did before you died?"

The blond lowered his head, and Terra knelt down on the floor in front of him to look directly into his miserable green eyes. "I'm not Xehanort, Even, and I don't want you to hurt -"

"Too late there." Even said bitterly, leaving Terra slack jawed at his about face in personality as the apprentice took a long pull from the bottle in his hand "They took Ienzo away from me, you know. Said I couldn't care for a child when I couldn't even care for myself." He laughed a hoarse laugh that ended in a sob. "My fault. I failed them both." He raised the bottle and took another drink.

"Where's Ienzo now?"

"He's staying with Ansem now, and they won't let me see him." Even laughed again, though there was no mirth in it at all. "What I get, I suppose, for pushing Xehanort to kill himself. I listened to my master; that's what apprentices are supposed to do, and look at where it's gotten me. One child dead, the other taken away." He raised the bottle to take another drink, but Terra snatched it out of his hand and threw it into the cold fireplace.

"So you're just going to sit here and drink yourself to death? Is that it?"

"What else can I do? Xehanort is dead, and even if I sober up, they won't give Ienzo back to me. I've lost them both, so there is no point anymore." He slumped down in his chair, looking defeated, and Terra stood up and wrapped his arms around Even's too thin frame, and he noted in the back of his mind that he'd been giving out a lot of comfort over the past several days as the blond cried softly into his shirt.

After a few minutes, and after Even's sobbing had dropped down to sniffles, Terra pulled him to his feet and half carried, half dragged him into the bathroom, where he started the water running in the shower and shoved the blond in. Even yelped and tried to get out of the stall, but Terra blocked the doorway and wouldn't let him pass. He simply pointed to the soap and washcloth lying on the small shelf, and Even sighed in defeat, stripped out of his dirty clothes and began to wash himself. Once he was clean, Terra dragged him out and made him dry himself off and comb out his tangled hair. He then hauled him into the bedroom and made him dress in clean clothes before he sat him down on the bed and pulled up the room's only chair to sit across from him.

"Feel better?" he asked.

Even nodded faintly. "A little, thank you." He raised his head to meet Terra's eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Terra."

"Are you... related to Xehanort somehow? You resemble him a great deal."

"In a sense, yes."

"What does that mean?"

"It isn't important. What is important is this; do you care for Xehanort still?"

Two tears leaked out of Even's eyes and ran down his face. "I do, though it's too late for that."

"If you could, would you go to him?"

Even's head snapped up, eyes flashing. "What kind of question is that! Xehanort is _dead!_"

"If you could, would you go to him?"

"Of course I would, but he's dead!"

"No, Even, he's not. I saved him just in time and took him someplace safe to heal and get away from the hostility. He's alive, and he's asking for you."

"He's alive?" Even whispered, and he looked so desperately hopeful that it nearly broke Terra's heart. "And he's asking for me?"

Terra smiled at him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Yes, to both. He misses you Even, and he wants to see you."

"Where is he? How do I see him?"

"I'll take you to him."  
>"When?"<br>"Now, if you want."

"Of course! I want to see him! But," Even seemed to deflate then. "I can't leave Ienzo behind."

"We'll take him with us. I'm sure he had can hide inside the coat." Ienzo was small, Terra thought, and his gilder should have problem with the added weight.

Even leapt to his feet, looking much more like himself. "Let's go then! Ienzo is staying in Ansem's rooms. Let's get him and go!"

"Alright."

The pair walked out of Even's rooms, and Even seemed to want to break into a run to Ansem's rooms, though he was clearly in no shape to do so. As they walked down the silent corridors, Terra kept one hand on the elder's shoulder in support, which was a good thing because by the time they reached Ansem's chambers, Even was shaking with exhaustion. He leaned against the wall as Terra silently opened the door and led the way back to the second bedroom where Ienzo was sleeping. He stood guard by the door as Even sat down on the bed and gently ran his hand over Ienzo's hair to wake the child up.

Ienzo stirred and opened his eyes "Even!" and leapt into Even's arms. The pair held each other tight for a long moment before Ienzo let go and sat back. "What are you doing here, Even?"

"I need you to get dressed, Ienzo." Even said quietly "We're going someplace."

"Now?"

"Now. Now get dressed, quickly."

Ienzo scrambled to obey, and he was dressed in record time. "I'm ready. Where are we going?"

"To Xehanort."

Ienzo looked at Even strangely. "Eh, Even? Xehanort died, remember?" The blue haired child looked at Terra. "Though he looks a lot like him."

"I don't have time to explain, Ienzo." Even said "Now let's get going." He looked at Terra. "Lead the way."

Terra tossed the black coat at Even. "Here, put this on. You'll need it where we are going." Even hastily slipped the coat on, and then he and Ienzo followed Terra from the room. Once they were out in the hallway, Terra opened the pathway to the Lanes Between and summoned his glider. Ienzo's eyes widened comically.

"We're going to all fit on _that_?" he asked incredulously, and even Even looked a bit dubious.

"It's the only way." Terra explained "So get on."

"But -"

Behind them they heard someone moving around in Ansem's rooms and heard the man's voice. "Ienzo, where did you get to?"

"Now!" Terra hissed, and Even scooped Ienzo up and climbed onto the saddle behind Terra. "Put him inside your coat, Even." He waited until the blond had done so, and then he said: "Now hang onto me, and whatever you do, don't let go of me or Ienzo. Got it?" Even nodded in understanding, and Terra sent the glider rocketing forward through the portal just as Ansem opened the door behind them.

On the other side of the portal, Terra heard Even gasp in shock and amazement, but he ignored it in favor of concentrating on the dot of light that was the Mysterious Tower ahead. As much as he wanted to make the flight as quickly as possible, he had to be careful of the two passengers behind him. He definitely did not want one or either of them to fall off. It was a slow flight to Mysterious Tower, and when they arrived, Master Yen Sid met them at the door with a rare smile.

"He is still asleep." the elderly keyblade master said quietly as he looked at Even and Ienzo "But I'm sure that he will be very happy to see you two."

"He's really here." Terra heard Even whisper as he led him and Ienzo up the spiral stairs and through the study to the bedroom. The room was dark, but the bright moonlight shining through the window allowed them to see Xehanort sleeping quietly in his bed.

"Xehanort." Even breathed, and the blond crossed the distance between the bed and the door in the blink of an eye. Like he had with Ienzo, he sat on the bed and gently ran his fingers through Xehanort's hair, and Xehanort stirred and woke at the touch. He turned his head and his brown eyes blinked up at Even, as if he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not.

"Even?"

Even smiled tearfully. "It's me, Xehanort. I'm here."

"Even!" Xehanort threw himself into Even's arms and burst into tears, and Ienzo ran up to the bed to join them while Terra quietly slipped out the door to give them some time alone. Behind him he could hear Even crying as well between mumbled apologies, and he smiled as he joined Master Yen Sid in the study.

"Even does not look well." the elderly man said evenly, and Terra nodded in agreement.

"His guilt over his treatment of Xehanort was eating him alive, and no one seemed to care."

"Then this reunion will be good for both of them."

After several minutes, the voices from the bedroom fell silent, and Terra headed back in there. He found Even still seated on the bed, with his arms around Xehanort, who had fallen asleep against him. Ienzo was curled up next to them, and Even sighed as he rocked Xehanort slightly.

"I won't fail them again." he said as Terra approached the bed "I don't care what I have to do; I won't let anyone hurt Xehanort again. I won't neglect Ienzo anymore. I won't."

Terra laid a hand comfortingly on Even's shoulder. "You're here with him now; that's the important thing. Now, it's late, and you're exhausted. Go to bed, Even, get some rest. Xehanort will still be here in the morning."

Even sighed and nodded, and he carefully laid Xehanort down and tucked him in, before he kissed him lightly on the forehead. Terra pointed to the other bed, and Even went over and flopped down on it, and Ienzo climbed up beside him. They both were asleep almost instantly, and Terra shook his head as he pulled the blanket over them. He then went and curled up on the window seat. Even with Even and Ienzo nearby, he didn't want to leave Xehanort alone.

**OOOOOO**

In the morning, the four of them had breakfast in the bedroom, and Xehanort glued himself to Even's side, though he kept sending glances Terra's way, as if he was making sure that his "brother" wasn't going to disappear on him. After they had eaten, Even coaxed Xehanort into taking a bath, brushing his teeth, and combing his hair, things that Terra often had to do for him. Even with the revelation (as false as it was) that he had living family that loved and cared for him, the deep depression that had resulted from the betrayal of his adoptive family had not lifted. Seeing Xehanort combing out his damp hair after taking a bath on his own, things that he had no interest in doing before, made Terra's day.

Afterward, Xehanort curled up beside Even on the couch, and the two of them began speaking to each other in soft voices. Realizing that the conversation was between the two of them, Terra slipped out the door and went outside to practice his keyblade and magic. He was severely out of shape and out of practice, so he needed to work on it as much as he could before confronting Braig. Even before the possession, when he had been at his best, Braig had been a struggle for him in battle, and if he had to face the marksman again, he wanted to be ready.

And maybe the next time he would take out the raping bastard's other eye.

And the worthless hunk of flesh between his legs too.

Banishing those angry thoughts, Terra turned back to his katas and allowed himself to get lost in the familiar routine.

"You're not really Xehanort's brother." came a voice from behind him, and his concentration was broken as he turned around to see Ienzo standing behind him, regarding him intently with one blue eye.

He had forgotten just how perceptive Ienzo could be when he wanted to. "What are you talking about? Or course I am."

The child's one eyed gaze didn't waver. "No you're not. I don't know who or what you are exactly, but you're not his brother. You may look like him, but you're not related to him. So who are you?"

"That is a question that I would answered as well." came Even's voice as he walked out of the tower onto the lawn.

"Where is Xehanort?" Terra asked.

"He is sleeping." Even walked up to stand beside Ienzo and looked at Terra intently. "Who are you really? Xehanort has told me that the two of you are brothers and that you were separated when your world was destroyed, but I don't believe that. Earlier you navigated the castle halls like you had lived there, and you knew exactly where Master Ansem's second bedroom was. So who are you?"

Terra sighed heavily and ran his hand down his face, before he gave Even a knowing look, who then nodded in understanding.

"Ienzo," he said "Go inside. I'm sure Master Yen Sid has some books that you would enjoy."

Ienzo gave his surrogate father an indignant look but did as he was told, and once the child was inside the tower, Even looked at Terra intently. "Tell me everything."

Terra sat down on the grass and raked his fingers through his hair, and Even sat down beside him. Where to start?

"The simple truth is," he said after a moment "I have lived inside the castle. I was living there from the day that Xehanort was taken in up until he tried to kill himself." He ignored Even's look of disbelief and continued. "I knew where Ansem's second bedroom was because I had stayed in it for a few weeks with Xehanort while he finished healing."

Even's eyes narrowed and flashed with anger. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" he snapped "I know no one was there aside from Xehanort, because I helped care for him. So instead of making up some fanciful lie, why don't you try telling me the truth?"

Terra sighed. "The beginning then, though I doubt you'll believe me anyway. It all began when I was about to take my Mark of Mastery exam, so I could earn the title of Keyblade Master..."

Terra kept his eyes on the grass in front of him as he told Even about the possession, the events leading up to it, and how Master Xehanort sealed their hearts away. He didn't want to see Even's disbelief, though he considered it a good sign that the blond hadn't got up and left. He told of how Master Xehanort had vanished on him, of watching Braig abuse Xehanort and wishing that he could do something, and how he shared Xehanort's relief once they were discovered. He also shared his heartbreak when Xehanort was rejected, first by Ansem, and then by the others. He then went on to explain Xehanort's suicide attempt, and how he had used his despair to seize control back at the last second, saving them both. He explained throwing the lab coat into the water, hoping to fool others into believing that Xehanort was dead, and then flying to the Mysterious Tower to recover. Finally he told how Master Yen Sid, the three fairies, and the wizard Merlin cast a spell to give Xehanort a physical body, his catatonic state afterward, the Heartless attack that snapped him out of it, and his tearful declaration that he missed Even. He also admitted that he had lied to Xehanort about their relationship.

"I couldn't tell him the truth." Terra said quietly "He's so fragile right now that telling him the truth would have destroyed him."

Even said nothing, and after a moment, he simply stood up and walked back inside. Terra sighed heavily and lightly rapped the end of his keyblade against he grass for a while before he too stood up and went inside. Master Yen Sid was at his desk, while Ienzo was seated in a corner with his nose buried in a book that was almost as large as he was. Master Yen Sid nodded at him, and Terra returned it as he walked into the bedroom.

Inside he found Xehanort sleeping in his bed, while Even sat beside him, stroking his hair.

"Master Yen Sid insists that you're telling the truth, that everything you spoke of happened." Even said quietly "As hard as I find it to believe, the fact remains that there is still so much that I don't know about the heart, so I can think of no reason why a possession wouldn't be possible. I've also known about keyblades for years, though their power is largely unknown to me. You rescued Xehanort from himself, brought him to safety, and cared for him when I could not. You have no reason that I can think of to be lying to me, so I'll have to take your word for it and trust you for now." He leaned over and softly kissed Xehanort on the side of his head, which made him smile in his sleep. "Now, why don't you tell me the real reason you brought me out here. Xehanort asking for me was part of it, but there's more, am I right?"

Terra nodded. "There is."

"Hmmm, let's leave Xehanort to his nap, and you can explain everything in the study." Even stood up and strode quickly from the room, and after a quick glance at Xehanort, Terra followed him.

The two of them sat down in the chairs in front of Master Yen Sid's desk, and Ienzo put his book back on the shelf and perched on the arm of Even's chair.

"I need your help." Terra said simply "We need to get Braig to admit to abusing Xehanort, so he can go home. He misses Radiant Garden and the people there, and he wants to go back."

"But he can't do that with everyone believing that he is the guilty one." Even added with a sigh. "I see."

"You've known Braig much longer than I have," Terra said with a shrug "so if you have any ideas, I'm open to them."

"I don't know. Braig will never admit to it willingly, and any hint of coercion will simply result in Ansem and the others disregarding any confession."

"What about magic?" Ienzo asked while casting a glance at Master Yen Sid, who gave him a slight smile in return "Is there a spell to make him tell the truth?"

Terra and Even looked at each other for a second, and then, in perfect unison, they turned to Master Yen Sid and looked at him questioningly.

"There might be." the keyblade master sighed "I will do some research on the matter later. For now though, Even you must focus on getting well. You cannot help Xehanort if you are ill yourself, so you must regain your strength. Only then can we take the steps necessary to allow Xehanort to return home with you."

Even nodded, and any further conversation was halted when Xehanort wandered into the room then, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Ienzo hopped down from his perch, and Even stood up and Xehanort walked into his open arms and nestled close, though he did look at Terra and smile at him. Terra returned the smile, and Even walked Xehanort back into the bedroom to get dressed for the day. Ienzo followed.

Once the door had shut, Master Yen Sid spoke.

"Using magic to force Braig to tell the truth could very well cause him to reveal who Xehanort really is."

"Who he was." Terra corrected absently "He's not that monster anymore."

"You are right; my apologies, but the problem remains. And unfortunately, even if Braig does confess and Xehanort is able to return home with Even and Ienzo, there will always be those that believe that Braig was the victim."

Terra nodded. "I guess we'll deal with that when we get there."

Master Yen Sid closed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

**OOOOOO**

Days passed, while Even ate and rested, Xehanort slowly climbed out of the shell that he had built around himself, and Terra slowly built himself back up to how he had been before the possession. Master Yen Sid, with Ienzo's assistance, searched for a spell of some kind that could be used to force Braig to tell the truth (but now the whole truth, that would be a disaster.), and all they would say on the subject was that they had some ideas that they were looking into.

Terra made periodic flights to Radiant Garden to check up on things, and while he was somewhat relieved to discover that Even and Ienzo's disappearance had Ansem frantic with worry, part of him still was angry at the old man. He had failed to protect Xehanort, and then he had missed Even's depression and deteriorating health. If he had cared, he should have seen it. Braig, of course, was still strutting about the castle like he owned it, and Terra again had to restrain the urge to commit violence whenever he saw the raping bastard.

There was one other issue to deal with, and Terra felt like kicking himself when it reared its head. He should have seen it coming.

As he practiced his keyblade and magic against resetting targets that Master Yen Sid had conjured for him, he was aware of Xehanort behind him, seated on the castle steps, watching. After he had laid waste to the targets and was waiting for them to reset, he heard Xehanort speak.

"If I was living with Master Eraqus, does that mean that I have a keyblade too?"

Terra froze as his mind locked up for a second. Then his thoughts began to run around in panicked circles as a serious problem occurred to him.

Fact: Xehanort likely did have Master Xehanort's keyblade.

Fact: Summoning it could very well awaken Master Xehanort himself, if he was still in there, buried deep.

Fact: He could lie to Xehanort and tell him that he didn't have a keyblade, but that lie would get blown out of the water if Xehanort ever managed to summon it, which could very well make Xehanort question other things that he had been told.

Fact: Telling Xehanort that he did have a keyblade could result in him trying to summon it, which could result in the block on his memory breaking. Even if Master Xehanort did not awaken, regaining the old man's memories would destroy him.

Which all led Terra to the conclusion that he needed to start talking, _fast_.

"Terra?"

_Damn, damn, damn! What do I tell him? What do I say?_

He turned around slowly, hoping that Xehanort wouldn't see the sheer panic that had to be visible in his eyes. He had to make a decision; they could deal with the consequences later.

"No," he finally said "You were never able to summon one."

Xehanort's face fell, and he looked so crushed that Terra hastily went over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"But, but, if I didn't have one, why did Master Eraqus let me stay?"

"We both had the potential," Terra patiently explained, even as he hoped that he wouldn't regret it later "but only I was able to summon one. You went through the same training I did, and Master Eraqus loved you every bit as he did the rest of us. He wasn't going to make you leave. You could still hold your own in a fight, you just used a regular weapon instead of a keyblade."

"Can I use magic like you can?"

"You could before, and you were a terror with it. I'm sure that if you were to practice with me, you'd get it back."

Xehanort managed a feeble smile and leaned into Terra's embrace. "When can we start?"

"Not now," came Even's voice from behind them, and they turned to see him standing in the open doorway "Lunch is ready."

Xehanort sat up and Terra dropped his arms. "Go on up; I'll be up in a minute." Xehanort nodded and went inside and up the stairs, and once they heard the door at the top of the stairs close, Even spoke.

"Do you think that that was a good idea?" he asked worriedly.

Terra sighed. "No, I don't know, but if he summons that keyblade, Master Xehanort, if he's still there, could awaken, or he could regain the old man's memories."

"And regaining that monster's memories would crush him in this state." Even said heavily "I understand."

"At least this way, I hope, if he ever does summon it, I can act all surprised that he finally managed it."

Even nodded and the pair proceeded up the stairs to join the others for lunch.

That night, after Xehanort was asleep, Terra asked Master Yen Sid if there was a way to permanently prevent Xehanort from ever summoning the keyblade and explained his reasons why.

"No," the keyblade master replied "there is not. Once you have summoned one, it is with you for life. It is only due to the lock on his heart that Xehanort cannot summon his at the moment."

"If that lock were to break..."

"Yes, Xehanort would regain his keyblade, and his previous incarnation's memories as well."

"Is it possible to... reinforce the lock? To stop it from ever breaking?"

"It can be done, but doing so carries great risk for Xehanort. He could lose his memory again, or his sense of self could be utterly destroyed. Do you wish to risk him?"

Terra shook his head vehemently. No, he would never do that if it could harm Xehanort. They would just have to hope that the current lock never broke.

That night Xehanort crawled into bed with Terra again, and again Terra whispered stories to him about growing up on the Land of Departure. He told him how, when it became clear that Xehanort would never be able to summon a keyblade of his own, Master Eraqus told him that the Land of Departure was his home and that he would never make him leave.

"'Magic is a force unto itself.' he said." Terra whispered as Xehanort looked at him with bright eyes "He said that while it did not have the power the keyblade had, it too could be used to hold back the dark, and since you were so gifted with it, he knew that you would do well. It made me green with envy sometimes; I struggled with magic, while you had no trouble at all."

Xehanort smirked then, and Terra shuddered at the memories that smirk had invoked.

"Terra? Are you okay?" Xehanort was looking at him with suddenly worried eyes "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, no, you did nothing wrong. It was just... a bad memory. Now, did I tell you about the time that..."

Xehanort snuggled close as Terra whispered stories to him, and like he had before, he ended up falling asleep in Terra's arms.

**OOOOOO**

The following morning, Xehanort followed Terra out to the practice range, where they began to try calling up his magic. Since only the knowledge on how to use magic is affected by the heart, not the possession of the magic itself, he hoped that they would see results quickly. It soon turned into an exercise in frustration, however, for no matter how hard Xehanort tried, his magic stubbornly refused to come to him. After an hour of trying, by the end of which Xehanort was sweaty, exhausted, and suffering from a nasty headache, Terra called it off. Xehanort wanted to keep trying, but Terra refused to let him.

"You can't do magic when you're tired, so take a rest, and you can try again later." Xehanort sighed heavily and nodded, and the two of them went back inside. Xehanort laid down for a nap and quickly fell asleep, while Terra explained to Even how the first attempt had gone. He then went back outside to practice his own magic.

He had barely gotten started however when he was interrupted by a terrified scream that came from the tower, so he ran for the front doors. As he ran up the spiral stairs, there was another scream, followed by a third. He burst into the study and flew into the bedroom, where he found Even sitting on Xehanort's bed, holding the latter tight while he sobbed in terror.

"What happened?" Terra asked as he dismissed his keyblade.

Even was too busy soothing Xehanort and did not answer, so Ienzo answered instead. "I think he had a nightmare. He was sleeping, and then he started to cry, and then he screamed."

Terra nodded in understanding and sat down on the bed beside Xehanort and Even just as Xehanort began to speak.

"I want to go home, Even! When can we go home?"

Even rocked him and stroked his hair. "Not yet, Xehanort. We still have to figure out what to do about Braig before we can go home. It's not safe for you there right now."

"I don't care about him! I just want to go home."

Even looked up at Terra, who nodded, understanding the silent question. Terra then took Xehanort into his own arms, and the latter curled close to him. "I'm sorry, Terra, I just want to go..."

"It's alright. Radiant Garden is the only home that you can remember, so it's understandable that you would want to return there." He laughed bitterly, as the memory of his own actions rose to the forefront of his mind. "There's nothing left of the Land of Departure anyway."

Xehanort snuggled close, and Terra soothed him while Even went off to see about lunch and Ienzo buried his nose in a book again.

During lunch, Even and Terra shared a silent conversation; it was time to get things moving.

**OOOOOO**

"There are two different kinds of magic." Master Yen Sid explained that night once Xehanort was in bed asleep, with a sleep spell of Even's cast on him to make sure he stayed that way for the night "You two," Here his gazed moved between Terra and Even. "are proficient in one kind: elemental magic. It is very powerful and works well in combat, due to its fast casting time and short cool down. The second kind of magic covers structured spells and covers rituals, enchanting, curses, maledictions, and the like. It was a structured spell in the form of a ritual that gave Xehanort a physical body.

"Under curses, there is a certain kind of curse, called a 'geas'. It is a spell that forces the person it is cast on to conform to whatever the caster wishes. For example, Terra, I could place a geas upon you to make you tell Xehanort the truth about his origins, and you would be compelled strongly to do so. Failure to adhere to the conditions of the geas are often fatal, and even if the victim survives, they are often left permanently addled."

Even caught on immediately. "So you're saying that we could put a geas on Braig to force him to tell the truth about what he did to Xehanort without telling everyone about Xehanort's true origins?"

Master Yen Sid nodded. "Exactly. Sadly, neither one of you are proficient in such magic, and while you, Even, are strong in elemental magic, you may not be strong enough to make the geas unbreakable, especially since Braig has the power of Darkness on his side. It will take both of you to cast it."

Terra was fine with that. "When do we start?"

**OOOOOO**

Over the next few days, Terra and Even worked closely with Master Yen Sid at night when Xehanort was asleep, trying to master the magic that they would need to ensure Xehanort's future and safety in Radiant Garden. Terra also made a point to visit said world, and he was somewhat delighted to find out that Braig had landed himself in trouble. He was delighted that Ansem finally had some proof that his favorite marksman wasn't as innocent as he'd believed, yet saddened that it took the attempted rape of a teenaged girl for the man to realize that. Braig was locked up in the castle's prison prior to his public trial, and Terra realized that the trial was the perfect chance to get Braig to fess up about what he had done to Xehanort.

He quickly returned to the Mysterious Tower and told Even and Master Yen Sid what he had discovered, and they agreed that it was too good an opportunity to pass up. They had to move quickly, Braig was scheduled to stand in the court hall in less than a day.

"You're as ready as you're going to be." Master Yen Sid told them the following morning "The two of you worked very hard on this, and hopefully, the two of you casting in unison will be enough. I have bespelled your black coats so that no one will pay attention to you, so that you may move through the world unbothered. I will remain here with Xehanort and Ienzo. Now go, and good luck."

Ienzo, seated in a corner with his nose in a book like usual, got up and gave them each a hug. "Good luck and come back safe." Terra smiled at the boy, and Even leaned down to kiss his blue hair before the two of them slipped black coats on and and went down the spiral stairs and out the front doors. Once they were out on the lawn, Terra turned to Even.

"Ready for this?"

Even looked at him and nodded. "As I'll ever be. Let's get this done."

"Right." And with that, Terra summoned his glider and opened the path to the Lanes Between. The pair of them then flew through without another word.

**OOOOOO**

They landed in Radiant Garden in the outer gardens, since Even said that whenever there was a public trial, especially one as serious as one of Master Ansem's apprentices, no one would be anywhere near the area. The glider was dismissed, they put their hoods up, and walked straight into town, towards the castle.

True to Master Yen Sid's word, no one seemed to even see them as they walked through the streets and up to the castle. Not even Aeleus and Dilan, guarding the castle's front doors like usual, noticed them as they walked boldly inside. From there, Even took them on the quickest route to the castle's prison, where they found Braig locked up in one of the cells, guarded by two other members of the castle guard. Two quick sleep spells from Even took care of the guards, and Terra used his keyblade to open the cell door.

Braig, sitting on the narrow bed against the opposite wall and chained to said wall by shackles on his wrists, looked up when they walked in.

"Who in the hell are you?" he asked, and Terra realized that Master Yen Sid must have done something to allow Braig to see them.

"Oh c'mon Braig, don't tell me you've forgotten me. After all," Terra reached up and lowered his hood "I wouldn't forget the one that cost _me_ an eye."

Braig surged to his feet, and it was only the chains that prevented him from launching himself at Terra. "You! What the hell are you doing here! That old coot possessed you!"

"Fascinating." Even said evenly as he lowered his own hood "So it really is true then."

Braig's eyes bugged out. "Even? What are you doing here? People saying you took Ienzo and killed him and yourself."

"Not that it concerns you, but Ienzo is perfectly fine. As for what I am doing here, well it's because me and Terra have something in common: both of us care deeply for Xehanort."

"And we're here to make sure that you're punished for what you did to him." Terra added.

"Did to him? As if! That little whore was willing damn it, and to hell with anyone that says different!"

"And I'm sure that the teenaged girl that you tried to rape was as well." Even said evenly, and he then looked at Terra and nodded. Terra reached out with one hand and shoved Braig back down to the bed, and then he and Even began to speak in unison:

"Protect the one you tried to tear apart,

And keep the true origins of Xehanort locked in your heart.

But to the matter of your abuse, tell all,

Today when you stand in the hall."

A geas was a matter of intent, Master Yen Sid had explained. They could say the words all the wanted, but the geas wouldn't take effect unless they truly wished for it to happen. To that, Terra was certain that they wouldn't have any trouble. Both of them felt the magic in the room, felt it leave them and enter Braig's body, and after giving it a minute to settle, Terra asked him a question.

"Where did Xehanort come from?"

"Hell if I know. I just found him in the square one day." Braig answered easily, and his yellow eye widened with horror, and for a moment it looked as though he was going to ask what they had done, but he did not. Such was the nature of the geas; the victim of it could not speak or write of it in any way.

Even then asked a question. "Did you ask Xehanort for sex, knowing that he wasn't fully aware of what you were asking from him?"

"Of course, I did. I figured he was good for a few good fuckings, and if he didn't know what I wanted, well too damned bad for him."

Terra and Even looked at each other and nodded in satisfaction. The geas was in place and working as intended. Without another look or word to Braig, the two of them left the cell, relocking the door behind them, and then they went upstairs and out of the castle. They wanted to be in the hall when Braig confessed, to make sure that everything went the way they wanted it to.

With their hoods up, they walked through town to the town hall, and they settled themselves in the very back of the room, out of the way. Even explained that the hall had good acoustics, and they would be able to easily hear Braig's every word, even in the back. Roughly a half hour later, Ansem appeared, and he took the top seat at the front of the hall, followed a few minutes later by his advisers. The four of them would serve as judge and jury, and Terra couldn't miss the heavy sigh from Even. He gently placed his hand on the blond's shoulder and squeezed lightly as the townsfolk began to file in.

The high ceilinged building filled with conversation and voices, and Terra was pleased to hear a few of those voices questioning if Braig had truly abused Xehanort as well. Hopefully, Braig's magic forced confession would do the trick. Once the gallery was settled, Dilan and Aeleus brought Braig in, and they forced him up onto a platform in front of Ansem and the others, and he was shackled to the floor by his ankles so he couldn't run off. The room quieted and settled and Even leaned over to whisper to Terra.

"Here we go."

Ansem stood up from his chair and addressed the gallery. "We are here today to address an issue that saddens me greatly. It is terrible enough when a child is abused, but to learn that one of my own apprentices attempted the crime fills my heart with sorrow." He looked down at Braig."Braig, you are accused of attempting to sexually assault a 15 year old girl. There are multiple witnesses to your attack on this innocent child, so we are merely here to hear what you have to say for yourself and decide your punishment. Do you have anything -"

"To hell with what he has to say!" shouted a man in the gallery, the girl's father Terra assumed "Let's just hang the bastard and get it over with!" A loud murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, and Terra and Even looked at each other uneasily. If Braig wasn't asked to speak, the geas might not force him to say anything about Xehanort.

"Hear, hear!" shouted another voice "I was one of the ones that pulled him off of the poor girl! We all know he's guilty, so let's not waste our time with his excuses! Let's just lock the bastard up until he rots!"

A cheer went up in the room, and Braig remained silent.

Ansem tried to restore order. "He will be given a chance to speak -"

"Fuck him and his chances! We all know what he did! Why should he get a chance to try and wiggle out of his just punishment!"

Even threw his hood back -

"What are you doing?" Terra asked.

- and stood up.

"Braig will be given a chance to speak!" His normally quiet voice boomed throughout the hall, and heads swiveled back to stare at him in surprise.

"Even?" said Ansem in shock "My child, where have you been?"

"That is not important." Even replied in a quieter voice "Braig, speak, let us hear what you have to say." He then sat back down, and Terra leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"Good save."

Even nodded his head slightly in response to the words, but his green eyes focused on Braig, as the marksman began to speak.

"So I tried to have a little fun with the little slut, big deal! She wanted some, and then she chickened out and screamed rape at the last second. I didn't do anything to her!"

Even stood up again. "Funny. Isn't that the same excuse that you used when you were caught brutally raping Xehanort?" Even sat down again, a satisfied smirk on his face, as the room went silent, and all eyes turned to Braig, waiting for his answer.

Braig struggled for a second, and it was obvious to Terra and Even that he was trying not to speak of Xehanort, but finally the geas forced the words out of him.

"Yes, I fucked Xehanort! I told the brat that I knew him from before and that if he let me fuck him, I'd tell him about his past, never mind that I don't know a damned thing about him. I found him in the square and directed Ansem and Dilan to him, so I couldn't tell him anything. He didn't know that though, and his memories were so fucked up that he really didn't know what I was asking of him. I fucked him every chance I got, and when he tried to make me stop, I did what I wanted to him anyway! When he threatened to tell, I told him that no one would believe him. And none of you did! I was caught fucking him bloody, and even though he was screaming and tied up under me, everyone was willing to believe that he was just a little whore, and I was an innocent victim. Well, guess what, you were wrong! I raped Xehanort! I raped him every time I caught him alone, and now the little bastard's dead, and you all are at fault! Congrada–fucking–lations!"

The room went absolutely silent then, and Terra noticed Ansem swaying on his feet as a sick realization dawned in his orange eyes. The people nearest the lord then had to dive to catch him as his eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted where he stood. The room exploded into noise, and Dilan and Aeleus hauled Braig out of the room, both of them looking more than a little sick at what they had just heard.

"Since his lordship is not well," one of the other judges announced "we will decide on Braig's punishment tomorrow. Everyone, go home, and we will reconvene here tomorrow at the same time."

"That was very satisfying." Terra said as he and Even filed out with the others and walked away to a quiet place so Terra could summon the glider and return to the Mysterious Tower. "Are you going to be okay here?"

Even shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'll have to do some explaining to Ansem about where Ienzo and I have been, but I doubt he'll complain much after what he just heard."

Terra laughed quietly. "I bet not. I'll come back tomorrow then, once Xehanort is in bed for the night. That should give you enough time to get things sorted."

Even nodded. "Right. Do try to get him to understand that I haven't left him again."

"I'll try, but you know he's going to be very upset that you're gone, even if it's obvious you're coming back."

"I know, but he only has to wait a few more days, and then, hopefully, he'll be able to come home."

"So, I'll get going then, and I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck."

Even nodded, and he turned and walked away towards the castle as Terra opened up the Lanes Between and left Radiant Garden.

When he reached the Mysterious Tower, he found Master Yen Sid in the study as usual, but he also heard crying from the bedroom, so he nodded to the keyblade master and walked through the door to find Xehanort sitting up in bed crying, while Ienzo did his best to comfort him.

"They're coming back, Xehanort." Ienzo said with the air of someone who had repeated themselves over and over "They didn't leave us here."

"I'm right here, Xehanort." Terra said as he walked in, and Xehanort's teary face turned to face him.

"Terra!" he wailed and reached out to him, and Terra smiled slightly as he sat down on the bed and held Xehanort's close. "I thought that you had left me."

"Never, Xehanort. I'll always come back to you. I promised, remember?"

"Where did you go?"

"Even and I went back to Radiant Garden, and guess what?" He smiled again as Xehanort looked at him curiously. "We got Braig to confess."

"Confess?" Xehanort's eyes widened as he realized what Terra meant. "He confessed to hur... hurting me?"

"He did, in front of Ansem, his advisers, and the entire town. Everyone knows now that he hurt you, not the other way around."

"Does that mean that I can... I can go home?"

Terra nodded with another smile. "Right now, Even is there talking with Ansem and explaining a few things to him, and tomorrow I'll go back and meet with him. If everything is taken care of by then, I'll take you home."

Xehanort closed his eyes. "Home," he said quietly, and he sighed quietly as he relaxed against Terra.

Terra chuckled slightly. "Yes, home, but you have another day or two to wait first, so for now, you're going back to sleep. It's late, and you're tired."

Xehanort didn't protest as he was laid down and tucked in, and Ienzo shot Terra a grateful look as he went back to his own bed. Xehanort fell asleep quickly, and Terra left the room in search of something to eat before he too went to bed.

**OOOOOO**

The following evening, Terra returned to Radiant Garden, and he found Even waiting for him in the outer gardens.

"I'll take it as a good sign that you're wearing your usual garb." he said as he gestured to Even's lab coat and ascot.

Even smiled. "Ansem is quite upset that he missed what was right under his nose, and he sentenced Braig to spend the rest of his life in the lowest part of the prison. He was very relieved when I told him that Xehanort was alive and safe, and he looked more than a little nervous to learn that he had a protective twin that wanted to have a word with him."

Terra laughed. "Does that mean I can do my Protective Older Brother speech and read him the riot act?"

"Please do. He feels very guilty over what happened, but a little more pain would be good for him."

"They by all means, lead on. I'm looking forward to this."

"I thought you might, and I arranged a bit of an audience for you as well."

"This 'audience' wouldn't happen to consist of Dilan and Aeleus now, would it?"

"Why Terra, I think you must hide your true intelligence, am I right?"

"Maaaybe."

Even grinned, and the pair made the rest of the walk in silence. As they walked through town, people parted ways for them, and Terra could hear them whispering to each other.

"It's Xehanort's brother."

"Heard he saved Xehanort just in time."

"You don't think he's going to do anything, is he?"

"He has every right to be angry at us."

Terra smirked, and Even returned it as they continued their walk.

"So, is the whole town with Xehanort now, or...?" Terra asked once they were in the cool darkness of the castle entrance.

"Mostly," Even replied as they walked towards Ansem's office "There are a few that still insist that Braig was the victim, but since everyone heard his confession to the contrary, those few keep quiet."

"Good, Xehanort doesn't need someone harassing him after everything he's been through."

There were no more words spoken as they walked the rest of the way to Ansem's office, and when they arrived, Even knocked on the door before opening it silently. He did not bow at the waist slightly as was customary, and Terra realized the implications of Even's lack of it immediately.

"Terra, here to see you, Master Ansem."

"Please show him in." came a familiar voice, and hearing it caused a rush of emotions that Terra was totally unprepared for. He knew it was his memories of Xehanort's emotions that he was feeling, but it still made him sway a bit on his feet before he regained control of himself and walked into the room and towards the massive desk. He tried not to think of the night where Braig had bent Xehanort down over said desk and fucked him bloody.

He was going to have to contend with Xehanort's memories, good and bad, whenever he walked through the castle it seemed.

Ansem, and well as Dilan and Aeleus, who were standing off the side, stared at him in shock as he walked in. Maybe they weren't expecting such a close resemblance. Whatever the reason, he was not here to worry about it. He had more important things to say. He did not take the offered chair, he preferred to use his superior height to loom over Ansem. Let the man be intimidated; it would just enforce the notion that he was not one to be messed with.

"Xehanort wishes to return home," he said, walking casually back and forth in front of the desk "to the only home and family he remembers. Even has assured me that you all feel guilt for how you treated him, but all of the guilt in the world cannot make up for how badly you hurt him." He leaned over the desk and hissed right in Ansem's face. "You allowed Braig to abuse him, and then you blamed him for that abuse. When he needed you the most, you rejected him and told him it was his fault." He stood up and looked around the room, at the four other people that were in it. "All of you share the blame in his attempted suicide, even you Even." Even flinched, but said nothing; he knew that Terra was right. "If I hadn't been there that night, he would have died in the Rising Falls, and nothing would have saved you from me." Not that I would have been able to do anything, he thought but didn't say. "You weren't there during the countless nights of trying to get him to look at me, to talk, to smile, to eat, to bathe himself. He had no desire to live, because you four told him that he was just a worthless whore that wasn't worth anyone's attention. Did none of you pay any attention to how much weight he was losing? Did any of you hear his cries as Braig raped him? Or did you hear them and think there was nothing wrong, because he's just Braig's little slut? Xehanort is very fragile now, because of how you treated him, and it won't take much more to shatter him beyond repair, and it is all your damned fault.

"I will let Xehanort return here, but only because I know he would be miserable anywhere else. You will apologize to him, you will not do or say anything to imply that it was his fault, and if any of you hurt him again, you will have me to deal with, and you will not like how I will react. Am I understood?" Nods came from the others, and Terra spun on his heel and walked out of the room. "Walk with me, Even."

Even caught up with him the in the hallway, and once they were a safe distance from the study, he stopped and turned to Even. "I meant what I said back there, Even. You are just as much as fault as the others, but while they didn't care for their mistake until Braig called them on it, you were different. Your grieved for him when everyone else was treating it as a case of good riddance. When I gave you the chance to see him, you jumped at it and have done your best to help him since then. Xehanort loves you, and I know you won't hurt him again. He always saw you as a parental figure, much like he did Ansem, but while I doubt that Ansem will ever regain that level of trust with him, you never lost it. As far as Xehanort is concerned, there is nothing that he needs to forgive you for." Terra sighed. "If you weren't here, I wouldn't leave Xehanort here, regardless of his wishes. Swear to me that you'll take care of him."

Even didn't hesitate. "I will always take care of him. Of this I swear, Terra."

"Good," Terra hesitated for a second, and then he yanked Even into a hug. "Damn it, Even, I tried to be angry at you. I should be angry at you, but I remember well Xehanort's feelings for you, and it's hard to be angry at you with that. Look after him for me, be there for him when I can't."

Even stepped back. "You're leaving him?"

"Not permanently. I have to find Aqua and Ven, Even. I was putting off the search because Xehanort needed me, but now that he's taken care of, I can finally go look. I'll be close by, but I have to find them."

Even nodded silently in understanding, and Terra opened the Lanes and summoned his glider right in the middle of the hall. "I'll be back later, with Xehanort. Once he's here safely, I'll go back for Ienzo."

Terra made the flight to Mysterious Tower in a pensive mood. On one hand, he was happy for Xehanort, but on the other hand, he still worried about him. What if Braig got out? What if one of Braig's supporters caught him alone? What it, what if, what if... He hadn't been lying or exaggerating to Ansem: Xehanort was still very fragile, and all it would take was one harsh word from the wrong person, and he would shatter. There was also his reaction to Terra's leaving to look for Ven and Aqua to think of. He was sure that Xehanort would understand his reason for leaving to go look; after all, Xehanort believed that he had grown up with Ven and Aqua, but chances were good that he would be upset and possibly think that Terra was leaving him for good.

When Terra brought his glider in over the Mysterious Tower, he spotted Xehanort and Ienzo seated on the front steps, waiting. Xehanort was wearing a black coat, and he looked at Terra with hopeful eyes when he touched down on the lawn.

"Ready to go home?" he asked, and Xehanort nodded eagerly and ran towards the glider when Terra gestured him forward. He felt Xehanort's weight settle on the saddle behind him and felt his arms encircle his waist. "Hold tight to me, and don't let go." He turned to look over at Ienzo, who was watching with a smile. "I'll be back for you later, Ienzo." Ienzo nodded, and Terra used his keyblade to open a portal and flew through.

Xehanort was silent during the flight, and if it hadn't been for his arms around Terra's waist, Terra wouldn't have been able to tell that he was there. It wasn't until they flew through a second portal and touched down on the Postern that Xehanort whimpered very softly, and his arms tightened around Terra. The climbed off of the glider, and once it had been dismissed, Terra turned to Xehanort, who was shaking slightly and looking around with nervous eyes.

He gently used his fingers to tip Xehanort's head up so he could look him in the eye. "You do not have to do this, Xehanort. Say the word, and we'll find another world to go to. I'm not going to force you to stay here."

"Braig's locked up, isn't he?" Xehanort asked faintly "He's can't hurt me anymore, right?"

"That's right."

"I... I want to do this, Terra. I _have_ to. This is my home."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Terra pulled Xehanort close and wrapped his arms around him. Xehanort buried his face in Terra's hair, and the two stood like that for a few minutes before Xehanort stepped back.

"Are you ready for this?" Terra asked him, and Xehanort nodded. "Let's go then. They're waiting for you."

The pair walked into the castle, and they encountered Even just inside the door. He had evidently been waiting for them. The blond gathered Xehanort to him and held him tight for a moment before he pushed him back to look him in the eye.

"Are you ready, Xehanort?" Xehanort only nodded, so Even fell into step on his left and they walked down the halls to Ansem's office.

The ornate, wood paneled door was open, and Ansem saw them before anyone had a chance to knock. The man stood up from his desk, staring and scarcely daring to breath, as if he couldn't believe the sight in front of him. Xehanort took a step back, squirming uncomfortably under the gaze, and Terra sent Ansem an irritated look, which finally go the man moving. He rushed forward with his arms open, but Xehanort shook his head and backed away from the offered embrace.

"Xehanort?" Ansem asked, looking hurt, and while Terra sneered at the man's audacity to act hurt, it provoked a very different reaction from Xehanort.

"Don't!" he said angrily "Don't act hurt in front of me! Don't act like it bothers you that I won't let you touch me when only a few weeks ago, you told me that I had brought everything on myself! You let Braig hurt me! You refused to make him leave me alone! You told my it was all my fault, so don't you dare act hurt in front of me when you have nothing to be hurt over! I bet that you didn't even care! Did you! Did you care when you thought that I was dead! Did you think that I had done it for a reason, or did you think that I was just a coward looking to get out of what I deserved? Well, did you!" Xehanort fell silent, chest heaving, as Ansem stared at him open mouthed. Terra watched as Xehanort looked past him to the blank space on the wall where the portrait used to hang, and upon seeing it gone, he began to cry and fled the room in tears.

Terra and Even chased after him, and they caught up to him at the Postern, where they found him huddled in a ball of misery in a small cubby, crying. Terra knelt down in front of him, and Xehanort threw himself into his arms, wrapped his arms around his neck, and laid his head on his shoulder. His weight rocked Terra backwards, and he had to sit down on the ground or risk falling over.

"I can't do this, Terra." Xehanort wailed between sobs and hitching breaths "I thought that I could, but I can't. He.. he didn't care! They didn't care that I was gone! He only wants me back because Braig admitted to hurting me. I can't stay here anymore; I can't. Please, _please_ may I stay with you?"

"Yes, Xehanort." Terra said softly as he rocked Xehanort "Of course you can stay with me."

There was a shuffling sound beside them as Even sat down, and Xehanort looked up at him before he crawled over onto Even's lap. "I'm sorry, Even. I really thought I could stay here, and things could go back to normal but..."

"I understand, Xehanort. You don't need to apologize for doing what's best for you. Besides, I always wanted to broaden my horizons."

Xehanort looked up at him in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"

Even gently raked Xehanort's hair back from his tear damp face. "I left you once, Xehanort, and my mistake nearly cost you your life. I won't be making that mistake again. Wherever you go, Ienzo and I will go as well."

Xehanort stared at him in surprise for a moment, before he nestled close to him and began to cry again. "Thank you, Even."

Terra let Xehanort cry for a moment before he stood up, which prompted Even to stand as well. The two of them then pulled Xehanort to his feet.

"I guess we had better get out of here then," Terra said "before they send out the search parties."

"Yes," Even agreed "but first..." He pulled off his lab coat and tossed it to the ground before untying his ascot. Xehanort watched him in confusion, but Terra smiled in understanding and summoned his keyblade. The weapon appeared in his hand, and he deftly untied Xehanort's ascot from the hilt, before handing the, slightly worse for wear, strip of cloth to Xehanort, just as Even held up his hand, and released his ascot to drift away on the night breeze.

Xehanort held the faded material in his hands for a moment, looking at in, evidently lost in memories, before he took a deep breath and held his hand up. The wind caught the frayed cloth, and he released it to gently drift away. The three stood there for a moment in silence, but then voices from behind them told them that it was time to leave.

Terra summoned his glider and opened the lanes, while Even walked away. "I'll meet you in the outer gardens once you've dropped Xehanort off at the Mysterious Tower." he called over his shoulder. Terra climbed on the glider, and Xehanort got on behind him.

"Are you ready, Xehanort?" Terra asked him gently and felt him nod against his back "Let's go." The pair then flew threw the portal, leaving the world of Radiant Garden behind them.

**OOOOOO**

The sounds of Ienzo and Xehanort laughing were music to Terra and Even's ears as they laid out their picnic lunch under the shady tree. The pair were chasing each other around the grassy field, acting very much like children, but Terra was glad to see Xehanort acting so carefree. In the weeks since they had left Radiant Garden behind them, Xehanort had relaxed considerably. He was still clingy, and he still became frightened easily, but he was much more secure and content. Not staying in Radiant Garden had turned out to be the best decision that any of them had ever made.

The four of them bounced around the worlds, staying for a few days, and then moving on, and while they all sometimes itched for a permanent home, they all agreed that they hadn't found the right place yet. When they found it, they would stop wandering and settle down. One of the first places that they had visited was the Land of Departure, but instead of the ruins Terra had last seen, they found a castle instead, and in the heart of that castle, they had found Ven, sleeping. His heart was gone, but his body was intact and unchanged, which meant that his heart hadn't been taken by the Heartless. Likely, it had found shelter within another while it healed from the horrendous damage caused by the destruction of the X-blade.

They had left Ven to sleep and had gone in search of Aqua, but they had found no sign of her anywhere, and Terra's hazy memories of her ended at the end of her battle with Master Xehanort in Radiant Garden. He had no idea what had happened to her, though Master Yen Sid had assured him that she lived still. He finally had to give up the search; he simply didn't have enough information. He had felt as though had been giving up on her, and he had moped for a few days, and to his surprise it had been Xehanort that had pulled him out of it.

"I can't remember Aqua." he said said quietly, hesitantly "but from what you've told me of her, I don't think that she would want you to be this way, Terra. She's probably blast you with magic and scold you for moping, so please don't feel bad that we can't find her. We'll find her someday. I know we will."

Terra had smiled at Xehanort, hugged him tight, and then suggested they go have a picnic. The world they were on was very beautiful, filled with gardens and gently rolling fields of wheat, and the four of them easily found a spot under the large shade tree.

As he and Even laid out the food, Terra heard a surprised shriek from Ienzo, followed by nearly hysterical laughter from Xehanort, and the two of them looked up just in time to see Ienzo running for them with ice crystals clinging to his hair and clothes. Right behind him came Xehanort, who was laughing so hard he could barely stand upright. Ienzo flopped down on the blanket and grumbled while he brushed the ice from his hair, while Xehanort sat down beside Terra and managed to stop laughing long enough to speak.

"Look, Terra!" he said excitedly "I did it!" And with that he held out his hand, and a large ice crystal, formed in his palm. "I finally found my magic again!"

Even and Terra stared at the ice crystal floating above Xehanort's hand, and then Even flopped down to the blanket with a groan. "Great," he said "You're going to get me back for every snowball I ever threw at you now, I know it."

Xehanort gave Even a sideways look. "Maaaybe."

Terra couldn't help it; he started to laugh, and after a moment, Ienzo, Even, and Xehanort joined him.

"Let's eat, I'm starving." he said after a few minutes, and the four of them began to fill up their plates with the fare from the basket. As Terra ate, he listened to Xehanort chattering happily away, and he shook his head slightly. If someone had told him that he would end up on some strange world, sharing a lunch with Xehanort, he would have called them crazy. Yet here he was, and Xehanort turned and smiled widely at him before he turned his attention back to his plate.

Terra still didn't know if Master Xehanort was truly gone for good, but he found that he really didn't care anymore. He had Xehanort and Ienzo as brothers, and Even as a good friend to him and a father figure to Xehanort and Ienzo, and as the strange family sat under the tree and enjoyed their lunch, he thought that that was really all that mattered. He missed Ven and Aqua dearly, and he hoped to find them again soon, but even if he never did, he still had Even, Ienzo, and Xehanort.

"Are you going to eat your food, Terra?" Even asked, breaking him from his thoughts "Or play with it?"

Terra chuckled lightly and turned his attention back to the meal. He had his body back, Ven was safe while he healed, Aqua was alive somewhere, and though he hadn't told anyone, he carried Master Eraqus' heart safely within his own. (The keyblade master approved of how he had handled things with Xehanort.) Even was healthy and caring for himself and Ienzo again, Xehanort was safe, and Braig had been punished

Yes, things were fine, just fine.

**OOOOOO**

***looks up at the ending* How did that happen? This fic was supposed to end with Ansem apologising, Xehanort staying in Radiant Garden, and then Terra going off to search for Ven and Aqua alone, but then Xehanort's rant at Ansem happened, and it went off in a completely different direction. Funny how that works sometimes.**


	9. The Price: Reason

**A/N: This is an alternate ending to Despair, in which Ansem saves Xehanort as he's falling into the Rising Falls. waves Angst Mallet in warning**

**A/N 2: I realized while writing this that I had inadvertently dropped Even in the role of Xehanort's mother figure. Weird.**

**A/N 3: Merry X-mas, Lita! XD**

**OOOOOO**

Ansem couldn't sleep.

He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get comfortable, unable to relax. He restlessly rolled over onto his right side, but sleep still wouldn't come. His bed was comfortable, his body was tired, but his mind refused to settle down. It was just like that one night...

… the night he had found Xehanort and Braig in bed together.

Ansem growled angrily and flopped over onto his left side. Lately, thinking of Xehanort only seemed to fill him with rage, and that was the last thing he needed while trying to sleep. Hmm, maybe he should just throw the boy out; the lords knew that he had caused so much trouble lately, surely a punishment was merited?

But where would Xehanort go? Who could he turn to? No one in Radiant Garden had recognized him, so it was safe to say that once out of the castle, he would be homeless, and without a family. Ansem had adopted Xehanort once it had become clear that he had no one else, though the boy's actions of late had made him wonder if he had made a mistake in that regard.

Ansem growled again and tried to banish any thoughts of Xehanort. He needed to sleep. There was a new business opening in town in the morning, and he was expected there for the ribbon cutting early on. He didn't have time to be worrying about the whore his apprentice/son had turned into. Xehanort's troubles were no one's fault but his own.

But... it takes two to have sex, and Braig had said nothing about being forced. Come to think of it, Braig had sounded as though he had enjoyed every second of it, and he was more than old enough to know what he was getting into. Xehanort on the other hand...

"...is a whore." Ansem said angrily to the dark, silent room. "Xehanort deserves everything he gets from this."

Yet, he couldn't deny that he'd felt a flicker of alarm earlier as Xehanort had just lain on his floor, half naked, still, and silent as Ansem had upbraided him for his behavior. He'd made no protest, made no attempt to change Ansem's mind. He had just lain there on the floor and taken the reprimand without so much as a whimper. And seeing as how Xehanort had always been quick to cry when upset or frightened before, his silence had spoken volumes about his mental state.

Volumes that Ansem had blatantly ignored.

"Fine," he snarled as he threw his blankets back and stood up "I'll go check on him." He tossed his robe over his pajamas, slipped his slippers on his feet and strode angrily out of the room.

It was a quick walk to the apprentice apartments, and as he neared the hall he saw a ghostly figure walk slowly out of it, turn the corner, and walk away in the opposite direction. The dimmed corridor lights allowed him to easily see who it was.

It was Xehanort, and Ansem noted for the first time his tangled hair, his rumpled clothes, and how his lab coat seemed to hang off of him like a sack, even though it had been tailored to fit him perfectly. He plodded slowly away, as if he had to force himself to keep moving forward, and Ansem decided to follow, curious as to where he was going. As he did so, he absently noted the blood on the back of Xehanort's lab coat, and he wondered where it had come from.

Xehanort walked silently out of the castle and into the town, and the entire way, Ansem quietly followed a few dozen steps behind. He couldn't begin to fathom where the boy was going, but he noticed that the further they moved on, the slower Xehanort moved, and the harder it seemed to be for him to keep going. At one point, he stumbled and fell, and Ansem realized that the soft, quiet cry that escaped him was the first sound he had heard from him in several days. For someone that had always been full of questions asked and answers sought, the silence was yet another alarming sign that something was seriously wrong.

Xehanort struggled to his feet, barely able to stand it seemed, and Ansem decided enough was enough and went to get him, but an angry voice interrupted him.

"Get out of here, you whore! We don't want your kind around here!"

A rock came sailing from a nearby house, and it struck Xehanort between his shoulders, which knocked him back down to the cobblestone street. A quick look to the left showed the house's resident, standing on the porch and preparing to throw a second, larger rock, and Ansem was torn for a second. Should he go to Xehanort, get him to his feet, and lead him back to the castle, or should he prevent the second rock from being thrown? If it struck Xehanort in the wrong spot, with him being so frail, it could do serious damage. If he went to him, he may not get to him in time for the resident to see him.

Decision made, he marched up to the angry man on the porch as Xehanort managed to regain his feet and began to shuffle away. "What are you doing?" he hissed furiously at the man, who turned as white as a sheet when he saw who was standing in front of him.

The man hastily dropped the rock. "I was just driving that whore off, Your Lordship." he said respectfully "No one wants him around after what he did to Braig."

"And what makes you think that I would permit this abuse of my son?" Ansem ignored the voice in the back of his mind that informed him that he was just as guilty as everyone else.

The man stared at him wordlessly for a moment. "Because, my lord, everyone knows what he did, and everyone knows that you were angry at him, so we assumed -"  
>"That it was alright to hurl rocks at him and insult him?"<p>

"But, my lord -!"

Ansem slashed his hand downward. "Enough! Leave Xehanort alone! No one it to harass or harm him; do I make myself clear?"

"Y... y.. yes, my lord."

"Now go inside."

The man practically ran inside his house, and Ansem turned back around to see that Xehanort had disappeared. He ran back out into the street and looked around for a flash of white hair or a flap of a lab coat disappearing around a corner, but he saw nothing.

"Xehanort!" he called "Xehanort, answer me!" There was no answer, though he noted a few other people coming out of their houses to investigate the voices they had heard. "Xehanort!" Worry overtook his curiosity as his walk turned into a run. Xehanort was in obviously poor physical condition, and he needed urgent care, but it Ansem didn't find him soon, there was no way to know what would happen to him. "Xehanort!"

He ran down the darkened street, and at some point, he became aware of the sound of falling water. A look around soon spotted the hatch that down to the Rising Falls. The Falls were closed off from the public, and the square had been built over them, but someone had left that hatch open. A terrible idea occurred to him then, and he hastily ran through the hatch and down the steps.

Ahead of him, just barely visible in the dim light, was Xehanort, standing on the ledge that overlooked the falls with his back to Ansem. His hair and clothes were blowing slightly in the breeze from the moving water, and suddenly Ansem knew with a horrified certainty what he was planning to do. He yelled out his name again, but the sound was lost in the roar of the water. He began to run forward as he saw Xehanort take a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for what he was about to do. The short distance between them seemed to stretch out for miles as Xehanort leaned forward. Ansem tried to force his legs to move faster, but it was as though he was wading through syrup. In horrible slow motion, he saw Xehanort falling forward, and with one last desperate leap, he reached out to catch him, certain that he was too late...

… and felt his fingers close around Xehanort's bony wrist.

Ansem felt himself being dragged forward and down by Xehanort's weight, and for one terrifying moment, he thought for certain that they were both going to go over, but then came the feeling of his body landing on the ledge. The impact knocked the breath from him, but he managed to keep his hold on Xehanort, and he looked over to see Xehanort dangling from his hand over the yawning chasm. Xehanort was looking up at him with a lost look on his face, and only then did Ansem see how his cheeks were sunk in and how his eyes were ringed with shadows. Xehanort said something then, but the roaring water carried the words away before they could reach Ansem's ears.

"Give me your other hand, Xehanort." Ansem said, but if Xehanort heard him, he made no move to comply. He simply hung from Ansem's grip, looking up at him with that lost expression. Tightening his grip, Ansem began to scoot away from the edge, to try and pull Xehanort up, but though he had lost a significant amount of weight, he was still very heavy, too heavy for Ansem to pull him up with the grip that he had.

Worse, he could feel that grip slipping.

"Xehanort, please, give me you other hand!" He couldn't lose Xehanort, despite everything he still loved the boy, and he wasn't going to just let him die this way. "Xehanort, please!"

Xehanort just stared up at him as he slipped ever closer to the water below, and Ansem felt tears burn in his eyes when he realized just how desperately Xehanort wanted to die. "I'm not going to let go. I'm not going to lose you this way. Give me your hand!" Xehanort shook his head ever so slightly as Ansem's grip slipped another notch, and he could just picture Xehanort falling into the water below, and he wondered; would he struggle against the current that pulled him towards the vortex? Would he fight it? Or would he passively allow himself to be dragged into it? Would he scream as he was torn apart? Ansem didn't want to to think of watching helplessly as his adopted son died, but as his grip slipped still further, it appeared as though that that was exactly what was going to happen. "Please, give me your other hand! Please, Xehanort, I love you!"

He saw Xehanort's chin tremble, and then suddenly there was a second hand holding onto him, and Ansem sobbed with relief as he began inching away from the edge. Xehanort was still very heavy, but somehow he pulled him up to the ledge where he was able to grab him under the arms and drag him the rest of the way up.

Ansem collapsed to the ground a few feet from the edge with Xehanort on his lap, and he wrapped his arms tightly around him and rocked him for a moment, weak with relief that Xehanort was alive and safe with him and away from the water. Xehanort curled up into a tight ball and hid his face against Ansem's shoulder, and Ansem kissed him on the top of his head and stroked his damp, tangled hair and cried with the realization that Xehanort was not going to die in the falls, that he had him in his arms, and that he was safe.

After a moment, Xehanort looked up at him. "You should have let me go, Master Ansem." he said in a tiny voice that could barely be heard. "You should have let me go."

He held Xehanort tighter. "Nothing could have made me do that, Xehanort. Nothing it the world could have made me let you fall."

Xehanort said nothing and hid his face again, and the two sat quietly for a few minutes before the sounds of voices fell on their ears. Xehanort whimpered softly, and Ansem rocked him as several people, led by Braig, Aeleus, and Dilan, came down the steps to join them. Aeleus and Dilan, Ansem was quick to notice, look concerned, while many of the others looked puzzled. Braig, on the other hand, merely looked... annoyed?

Ansem frowned at Braig offered to take Xehanort, and that frown only deepened when Xehanort whimpered at his touch. "Thank you Braig, but no, I think it's best if Aeleus carries him." Rage flashed into being for a second on Braig's face, and Xehanort whimpered again as Aeleus gently scooped him up into his arms. Ansem gestured for Dilan to go up the stairs first and instructed the others to group around Aeleus and Xehanort, to try and shield him from prying eyes as much as possible. Everyone nodded in understanding, even Braig, though he looked positively murderous about something. Ansem frowned again; something was definitely not right about Braig, and he resolved to find out as soon as Xehanort was taken care of.

The group, with Aeleus and Xehanort in the center, went up the stairs and began to walk back towards the castle, and the entire way, Ansem was acutely aware of the nasty looks that Braig sent Xehanort's way every now and then. Something was definitely wrong.

**OOOOOO**

A few hours later, Ansem, tired and worn down, sat down beside the desk in the infirmary and listened as Sonora, the head of the castle's medical staff, explained about Xehanort's health.

"Heir Xehanort is in very poor condition." she said quietly "He has lost nearly a quarter of his body weight, he is exhausted, and he shows signs that he had been physically abused. Judging by the marks, welts, and bruising that I found, he has been punched, kicked, slapped and whipped with something multiple times over the course of the past few weeks. It may have gone on longer, but since any injuries from those old wounds would have healed and faded, it's impossible to tell. His back is littered with bruising and swelling, as though he has been violently shoved down onto it multiple times, and I imagine that just moving around was painful for him. He is suffering from osteomalacia – a thinning of the bones and weakening of the muscles - due to vitamin D deficiency, and he also has scurvy from a lack of vitamin C. He is also suffering from general malnutrition, but thankfully, all three are mild and can be easily corrected with supplements and diet. I have him on a feeding tube for now, but we will have to carefully feed him back up as it appears that he hasn't eaten in days, possibly weeks. His left shoulder was dislocated, I'm assuming from the sudden arresting of his fall when you caught him. I popped it back into place, and I expect it to be sore for a while while the stretched muscles and tendons heal." She closed the folder that she had been reading out of and looked at Ansem seriously. "Lord Ansem, I also discovered severe rectal and anal tearing and scarring. These are not old injuries; many of them are fairly recent, with some appearing as though they are mere hours old. I said this to you before when Heir Xehanort was in here last, and I will say it again. The violence needed to produce such injuries would have been extremely painful, which makes me highly doubt that he was fully willing in what was done to him."

"But he said -" Ansem began, but the doctor held up her hand to stop him.

"I know what he told you two months ago, and I still insist that either he was conditioned to say that, or Braig propositioned him knowing that Xehanort was not fully aware of what was being asked of him."

"Xehanort knows about sex, Sonora." Ansem said, angry at the accusation at Braig "He is hardly innocent."

"He is also very childlike; on that we can all agree on. If you approach a child that's had The Talk, and ask them 'Would you like to have sex? It will be fun.' and they agree, does that make them willing?"

Ansem looked over at Xehanort, who was lying still and silent on one of the beds. The soft yellow glow on the bedside table allowed him to see the restraints around his wrists that bound him to the bed and prevented him from harming himself. At some point during the walk to the castle, he had fallen asleep in Aeleus' arms, and exhaustion, coupled with a mild sedative, had kept him asleep so they could treat him.

He heard the doctor stand up and turned back to face her. "Think about what I said, Lord Ansem. These last few weeks were enough to drive Xehanort to attempt suicide. He needs your love and support, not your anger and condemnation. Will you be staying with him tonight?" Ansem nodded silently. "You can take the bed next to him. Call for me if he wakes or if he's distressed." She walked away then, to her private quarters aside the infirmary, and Ansem stood up with a heavy sigh and walked over to Xehanort's bed.

He pulled up a chair and sat down beside him and just watched him for a moment. He was tucked under three blankets, wearing hospital pajamas and socks, and the doctor had tied a scarf around the top of his head to prevent it from getting cold. During his bath earlier, his hair had been so badly tangled that it had been easier to cut it off, but the knots had nearly reached his scalp, so the cutting left him nearly bald in places. What little hair he had left was dry, coarse, and easily breakable, another sign of the malnutrition that he was suffering from.

With a heavy sign, Ansem leaned over and softly kissed Xehanort on the forehead before he moved over to the bed beside him and laid down. Only now, once he knew that Xehanort was safe beside him, did sleep overtake him.

**OOOOOO**

In the morning, Sonora woke Xehanort up to check on him. Questions about how he was feeling and if he was in any pain were met with with mumbled replies, and he refused to meet her eyes. Ansem watched from a nearby chair with a frown, and at one point he snapped at Xehanort to look at someone when speaking to them. Xehanort flinched at his tone, and Sonora glared at him.

"Out," she told him firmly "I'll not have you upsetting him any further. Get out of my infirmary, and don't come back until your attitude improves."

"This is my castle," Ansem snapped at her "And I will not be ordered around in here like a servant."

"The infirmary is _my_ domain, and Xehanort is in _my_ care, and you and the others have done enough harm with your attitude. Now get out, or I will have you escorted out."

Ansem snarled in anger, abruptly stood up from the chair, and strode out. He ignored the sounds of Xehanort crying softly as he went. Once out in the corridor, he encountered Even, who was evidently going to visit Xehanort. He thought about saying something, something along the lines of "Good luck,", and for one brief, cruel moment, he considered saying that Xehanort was forbidden to have visitors, but that urge died quickly, even as he wondered why the thought had crossed his mind. He shivered and hastened towards his quarters. He had some thinking to do.

**OOOOOO**

Ansem stayed in his rooms until dinner time, deep in thought. He found it disturbing that he had been so quick to turn on Xehanort weeks ago, and of course everyone else had followed his lead. Why? Why had been so cold to Xehanort? Yes, yes, he believed – still believed – that Xehanort had been whoring himself out to Braig, but somehow his anger had just... grown. Grown until no longer showed the care and concern that he once had. Grown until he ignored all the signs that Xehanort's health was failing as his mental state deteriorated. Grown until it had pushed Xehanort to the brink of suicide.

He held his face in his hands and shook his head. How could he have been so cruel? Even earlier, snapping at the boy when he was still so fragile. What had he been thinking? Yes, he had reason to be angry at him, but Xehanort had tried to kill himself. The doctor was right; he needed love and support, not anger and condemnation.

Right now, his son was lying tied down to an infirmary bed after a near successful suicide attempt. He should be in there with him, comforting him, soothing him, but instead he was holed up here, trying to cool the anger that stubbornly continued to burn. He shook his head again as his stomach growled to remind him that he hadn't eaten since dinner the previous night. He would go join the others for dinner, and then, once his head had cleared a bit, he would go check on Xehanort.

**OOOOOO**

Dinner was a somber affair, with Xehanort's attempted suicide casting a pallor over the room and those in it, except for Braig, who scarfed down his food like all was right in the world. During the meal, Ansem kept finding his eyes drawn to the empty spot on his right, where Xehanort's chair used to be. He couldn't really remember when Xehanort had stopped joining them at the table, and guilt settled about his heart when he remembered his callous dismissal of this early warning sign. Off and on, he saw Even, Dilan, and Aeleus looking at the spot as well. The dining room, normally filled with the babble of conversation was silent save for the clinking of silverware on plates, and after an immeasurable amount of time, Aeleus broke the silence.

"How did your visit with Xehanort go, Even?"

Even, seated at the opposite end of the table from Ansem, sighed, put his fork down, and rested his head in his hands. Ansem just barely managed to stop himself from reprimanding him about elbows on the table.

"It was like... speaking to the wall." Even said in a low voice as he stared down at the table "He wouldn't look at me or talk to me, like he didn't see me at all. The only response I received is when I untied him so I could sit him up, and he kept turning away from me and wouldn't let me touch him. Even when the doctor told him that if he wasn't going to be with someone, he had to be restrained, he wouldn't let me. He just laid there and allowed her to tie him down again."

"We've hurt him badly." Dilan said softly "We've no right to expect him to let us close after what we did."

"I don't know how we can fix this." Aeleus added "Or even if it can be fixed. We all played a part in driving him to try and take his own life. Once someone is pushed that far, they may not be able to come back."

"Or not want to." Even finished "He may never trust any of us again."

"I don't know what the hell you're all worried about." Braig's boisterous tone was so loud that it made everyone jump "He's just a little whore; he'll live, so don't worry about it. Hell, maybe I'll visit him later."

Even slammed his fist down to the table as he stood up from his chair and glared at Braig with his green eyes blazing. "You are to stay away from him, Braig!" he snapped "This entire mess started with you, and I do not want to catch you near him!"

"Oh c'mon, Even!" Braig protested "I didn't do anything! Xehanort said yes!"

"You should have never touched him, regardless of what he said! You will stay away from him, or I will personally throw you into the dungeon!"

Braig turned to Ansem. "Are you going to let this stand, Master Ansem!"

Ansem gestured for Even to sit down. "Quiet down, Even." He turned to Braig. "Unfortunately Braig, Even is correct that this all started with you." He held up his hand when Braig went to protest. "I'm not saying that you are guilty of anything, but for the time being, it would be best if you stayed away from Xehanort. Later, once he's stronger, we can revisit the issue."

Braig settled back down into his chair, grumbling. "Little slut tries to off himself, and suddenly you're all falling over yourselves for him."

"Enough, Braig!" Even barked, and Braig subsided. The rest of the meal passed in silence, with Braig quietly fuming the entire time.

**OOOOOO**

After dinner, Ansem walked quietly into the infirmary. Only two lights were on; the lamp at the desk, and the smaller lamp aside Xehanort's bed. As he walked towards him, that lamp allowed him to see that the simple white cloth ties had been replaced with padded leather cuffs that were connected to the bed frame via thin metal chains. There was just enough slack in the chains to allow Xehanort to sit up, but nothing more.

Xehanort was awake, and he turned his head to look at Ansem as he approached. The warm yellow glow from the lamp reflected off the thin tubing that was taped to the side of his face before it disappeared into the left side of his nose.

"Hello, Xehanort." Ansem said quietly as he sat down in the chair aside the bed "How are you feeling?" Xehanort blinked at him, and then he turned away without saying anything. "Aren't you going to answer me?" Xehanort remained silent, and Ansem felt a surge of anger rise within him. He takes the time out the visit him, and the boy refuses to even acknowledge him! "Fine then," he growled as he stood up "It's obvious you'd rather be alone." He turned and began to walk away, but he hadn't gone far when a voice fell on his ears.

"Please, don't." The plaintive plea stopped him in his tracks, and he turned around to see Xehanort sitting up in bed, looking at him. "Please don't leave me alone."

Ansem felt his anger cool and die at that plea, and he quickly returned to Xehanort's side and sat down beside him. The chains clinked quietly together as Xehanort reached out to him, seeking permission, asking for comfort. Ansem unbuckled the cuffs, gathered his child to him and held him close, and Xehanort laid his head down on his shoulder and began to cry.

"Please don't leave me." he begged through his tears "I don't want to be alone again. I can't take it anymore; it hurts too much."

Ansem closed his eyes; why had he been so cruel? "Shhh, shhh, of course not. No, I'll stay right here with you. I won't leave you alone anymore."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause so much trouble. Please don't be angry at me anymore! I'm sorry!"

Behind them, Ansem heard a door open and shut, followed by light footsteps. He waved the doctor off; this was the most open Xehanort had been in weeks, and he didn't want to interrupt the moment, fearing that he would clam up again. "Hush, Xehanort, hush. Don't apologize. Everything will be all right. I'm here with you now, and I won't leave you again. I promise."

"Do you still want me?"

"Yes, of course I still want you. I still love you, and you're still my son. Nothing could make me throw you away, and I'm sorrier than words can express that I ever made you think otherwise." He shoved the angry thoughts of doing just that to the back of his mind and tried to ignore that he had ever had them.

Xehanort cried as Ansem held him and murmured soothingly to him until he was just too exhausted to keep going, and he quieted and fell asleep in Ansem's arms. Ansem cradled him and watched him sleep; how had he nearly thrown this away?

It was strange, unprecedented, but still perfectly legal, to adopt an adult in Radiant Garden, provided both parties agreed to it. Ansem had never found a wife or fathered a child; his work had always come first, and in light of his advancing age, it appeared as if neither were ever going to happen. There were his apprentices of course, and the heavens knew that he loved them all like they were his own, but they had their own reasons for not wanting such a formal relationship with him. Even and Dilan had learned the hard way that parental figures couldn't be trusted, and while they loved and trusted him, both kept a wall between themselves and him, which prevented him from getting as close as a parent would. Aeleus knew and loved his own parents fiercely, even though they had been gone for seven years already, and would not allow anyone else to step into their shoes. Braig's parents had loved their son, but with so many children to care for – Braig was the youngest of seven – there weren't enough hours in the day to show it, so Braig never really developed any desire to have a close family. Ienzo's parents had been gone for four years, and his memories of them were slowly fading, but it was Even that he had latched onto as his parental substitute, while looking to Ansem as a grandfatherly figure.

There had been concerned whispers around town; who would take over the rulership of the world once Lord Ansem passed on? Many assumed that one of his apprentices would take the role, Even, or perhaps Dilan, but Ansem knew better. Even did not have the temperament for such a task. He was a brilliant scientist, devoted to his work, and he loved Ienzo with a single mindedness that put many parents to shame.

And therein was the problem. Even cared only for his work, Ienzo, and his other friends. He was more than capable of running the world, but he would have hated every minute of it.

As for Dilan, while he was very bright and very good at his work, Ansem knew that he was not capable of juggling the many tasks that running the world required. It was tiring and stressful, and Dilan would not have been able to cope.

Braig of course was too carefree, and dare he say it, immature. Braig had joined the guard as soon as he had been eligible at sixteen, and he did his job well, but he would never take on such a responsibility.

Aeleus was steady, strong, a rock in a churning sea, ready and able to do what was needed, whenever it was needed, but he also lacked the mindset needed to be a ruler. He would make a wonderful guard commander some day; perhaps he would also fill an advisory role, but he, like Even, would hate every moment he was forced to be in charge of the entire world.

Ienzo was only ten, but Ansem could plainly see that the boy's thirst for knowledge and drive to learn were very much like his own at that age. Still, he was too young to see what he would be like once he was grown. A person changed greatly during the course of childhood after all.

It had begun to appear as though he was going to have to appoint someone to be his heir and successor, something that he had been loathe to do. He wanted someone to ensure that his apprentices were taken care of; he didn't want them to be tossed out of their home the instant the funeral services were completed. He wanted someone that would rule the world with fairness, yet be firm and unyielding when need be. He needed someone that wasn't afraid to make the hard decisions, yet could be loved by the people and could love them in return. The five of his apprentices working together could achieve all of that, but like siblings the world over, they squabbled and bickered, had fights and disagreements, and they sometimes had moments where they would get so angry with each other that they would refuse to speak to each other for a day or two. They always made up, but such things could be devastating to a world that needed solutions quickly.

No, he loved them all, flaws and everything, but they could not rule Radiant Garden in his absence. Someone else would have to be found.

And then someone was found, literally. Xehanort was found by Braig, lying injured and barely conscious in the square over the Rising Falls. As Xehanort recovered, it became increasingly clear that he had no family to take him home, and no home to return to anyway. No one in Radiant Garden recognized him or claimed him as their own, and he couldn't remember anything save his name. As he healed, his desperate desire to have a family that wanted him became so intense that it pained him, and Ansem often had to go to him in the night to soothe him back to sleep after being awakened by his cries.

The other five, especially Even and Braig, welcomed Xehanort into their group, and soon Ansem found his number of apprentices increased to six. Xehanort soon proved to have quick mind and a keen analytical sense, and when he went out into town, his charisma and natural charm soon had the people flocking to him in droves. Their attention made him feel welcomed and at home, and he returned their affection with warmth and affection of his own.

Yet, the ghosts of his missing past still haunted him, and when his forgotten nightmares woke him, or when the sight of a loving, happy family reminded him that he had none of his own, it was Ansem that he would turn to, looking for love, assurance, and comfort. He allowed Ansem to get close, allowed him to step into the parental role that the others refused him. It was then, four months after Xehanort's rescue, that Ansem realized what he must do.

Gentle questions asked to Xehanort had resulted in an eager response, so it was the simple matter to have the appropriate papers drawn up. The others had been happy for them, and the world cheered with the news that there was finally an heir to take the reins when Ansem had to let them go. Everyone had celebrated, and he, Ansem Hart, aged 54 years, could hardly believe that he finally had a child to call his own. Never mind that said child was already grown and estimated to be 19 or 20 years of age, he finally knew what it felt like to feel the love of a child, to be that close to someone.

Now as he cradled that battered, broken, and so very sick child in his arms, he wondered why he had been so quick to throw him aside like yesterday's trash. Xehanort was everything he could have wanted in a son, yet he had so callously dismissed his pain, his fear, and his depression. Not once had he tried to talk to Xehanort, to let him explain himself. No, he had simply tossed the boy aside and allowed him to be hurt.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Xehanort's forehead in a gentle kiss. "I love you, Xehanort." he said softly "I love you so much. I swear that I will never leave you again, and I promise that I'll be there to protect you from the people that want to hurt you." Xehanort whimpered softly and nestled closer, and Ansem smiled faintly and rocked him. "Rest now, child. I'll be here when you wake up."

Xehanort sighed and went still as he relaxed into Ansem's embrace, and it was then that Sonora finally approached. The two of them tried to lie Xehanort down, but the boy had a firm grip on Ansem's shirt and even in sleep, he wouldn't let go.

Seeing no other option, Ansem laid down and laid Xehanort down beside him. Xehanort immediately snuggled close before he settled back down.

"Are you sure that this won't frighten him?" Ansem asked as Sonora pulled the blankets over the two of them.

She gave him a gentle, knowing smile. "I am certain." she said gently "Right now he needs you more than anything, so I doubt that any harm can come of you holding him while he sleeps." She smiled again as she stood up. "If he wakes, you know where to find me, and if you have to leave his side for more than a moment, you'll have to restrain him. I know that you don't like it, but right now, it's something that has to be done until we're certain that he's no longer suicidal. Goodnight, my lord."

With that, she turned and walked away, and Xehanort inched even closer and tucked his head under Ansem's chin. Ansem smiled and went to run his hand down Xehanort's hair, only to be reminded that there was no hair, only the soft material of the scarf that covered his mostly bald head.

"Goodnight, Xehanort." he said softly as he closed his own eyes "I love you."

**OOOOOO**

It was the feeling of movement beside him that woke Ansem later, and he cracked his eyes open to see Xehanort sitting up in the predawn light, preparing to stand.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?" he asked as he sat up himself and pushed the blankets away.

Even in the dim light, he could see the blush that spread across Xehanort's face. "I have to go to the bathroom." he said quietly.

"Alright," Ansem said as he stood up, walked over to Xehanort's side of the bed, and carefully pulled him to his feet. "I'll take you."

Xehanort blushed again. "You don't have to go with me." he said in a small voice.

"Yes, I do. I'm not going to leave you alone in the state you're in, and if the way that you're shaking is anything to go by, I doubt that you could make it there without assistance anyway."

It was true, he could feel Xehanort's entire body shaking in his arms, and he was certain that, if he were to let go, Xehanort's legs would have buckled, sending him falling to the stone floor. Xehanort lowered his gaze to the floor and said nothing more during the walk, though he protested Ansem being in the room with him while he did his business.

Ansem just smiled and helped him stand in front of the toilet, and once that was taken care of, Xehanort was so tired that he could barely stand. Ansem simply scooped him up into his arms and carried him back to bed, and he couldn't help his smile when Xehanort nestled against him.

"It could be worse," Ansem said as he laid Xehanort down "You could be in diapers again like you were when you were first brought here."

Xehanort's eyes, which were halfway closed as he went back to sleep, flew open in horror. "No! Not that again! I'll accept the help as long as I don't have to wear those again!"

Ansem laughed quietly, glad to have gotten some kind of response other than mumbles and meek replies. "No Xehanort, I won't do that to you. You don't need them anyway. I just want to help you, can you understand that?" He laid down beside him, and Xehanort gave him a feeble smile as he snuggled close. "I love you, and I want to take care of you when you can't take care of yourself. Will you let me?"

Xehanort, with his face hidden in Ansem's shirt, didn't respond for a long moment, and then, finally, he gave a slow nod. Ansem smiled and pulled the blankets over them before he wrapped his arms around the boy. "Go back to sleep, Xehanort." he said gently "I love you."

"Love you too, Master Ansem." Xehanort mumbled sleepily, and then Ansem felt him relax into sleep as his breathing slowed and deepened.

Ansem smiled again, but that smile turned into a frown when something occurred to him. Xehanort was his child and heir, yet the boy still referred to him as "Master Ansem" same as the other apprentices. He also was still staying in the apprentice apartments instead of in his own suite of rooms in the wing of the castle that was occupied by the royal family. Ansem's frown deepened; as soon as the adoption had taken place, Xehanort should have moved out of his apprentice apartment, and he should have been given permission to use whatever parental title for his new father that he felt like using, yet Ansem could not recall even thinking about those things. He would have to rectify those things as soon as possible. The second thing – his living quarters – could be taken care of once he was well enough to be on his own and could be trusted not to hurt himself. The first issue could be rectified as soon as he woke up later in the morning.

Decisions made for the moment, Ansem settled down next to his sleeping son for the rest of the night. He needed to be well rested if he was to give Xehanort the care and attention he deserved.

**OOOOOO**

In the morning when Ansem woke, Xehanort was still sleeping. Feeling a need to visit the bathroom himself, he carefully got out of bed and walked to the desk to call for a servant to fetch his shower kit and a change of clothes. Once those had been delivered, he returned to Xehanort's side, and carefully, so not to wake him, positioned him on his back and buckled the cuffs around his wrists. Xehanort's eyes fluttered open then, and Ansem smiled gently at him.

"Just go back to sleep, Xehanort. I'm going to take a shower, and then I'll be back." Xehanort nodded sleepily and closed his eyes, and Ansem kissed him on the forehead before he went into the bathroom aside the infirmary and started the water running in the shower.

While he was standing in the hot spray, he thought he heard a door open and close. Figuring it was Sonora coming in to check on Xehanort, he dismissed it as unimportant and continued with what he was doing. After he was clean, he dried himself, dressed, and turned his attention to combing his hair and beard. It was then, as he noted that he needed a trim, that a small cry fell on his ears. A second later, there was a slap, followed by a second, slightly louder cry.

Ansem quickly walked to the bathroom door and opened it, and the sound of bed springs squeaking fell on his ears, accompanied by grunts and the sound of Xehanort crying softly.

"Please stop, Braig." Xehanort sobbed "I don't want this anymore. Leave me alone."

Ansem felt his heart drop – _What?- _and he moved out of the doorway and over to the desk.

"Shut your mouth," Braig growled "We had an agreement, and I'll be damned if you're going to renege on it. I don't care what the others say."

"It hurts, Braig! Stop! Please, it hurts!" Xehanort wailed as Ansem rounded the desk.

Whereupon he stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what he was seeing.

Xehanort was still on the bed, but he was pressed up against the headboard, with the chains that connected the cuffs to the bed frame pulled taut, like he had tried to scoot away. The blankets were on the floor, his legs were pushed as far apart as they could go, and pillows had been placed under him to prop him up. Braig was kneeling on the bed between Xehanort's legs, holding him by the thighs, with his pants down to his knees, pounding into Xehanort's torn and bleeding anus without a care for the pain he was causing or the damage he was doing. Xehanort writhed and thrashed on the bed as much as his restraints would allow as he cried and begged Braig to stop.

Xehanort had asked Braig to stop.

Braig had refused.

Xehanort had said that it hurt.

Braig had ignored him.

Xehanort was tied down and helpless to get away or defend himself.

Braig knew that.

This was not Xehanort whoring himself out.

This was not Xehanort taking advantage of Braig.

This was Braig taking advantage of Xehanort.

This was Braig hurting Xehanort.

This was Braig _raping _Xehanort.

Like it had two months ago after Xehanort's confession, Ansem felt his anger surge upward within him, only this time it wasn't Xehanort that it was directed at. His vision seemed to narrow into a tunnel that saw only Braig ahead of him as he strode forward and snatched Braig off of the bed by the collar of his jacket. He was dimly aware of Xehanort's wail at the sudden, painful withdraw, as well as the sound of the door to Sonora's quarters rattling as she tried to get out, but his attention was focused on Braig, on his face, sweaty and flushed with arousal, arousal that was quickly fading as he realized that he had been caught in the act again.

"What do you think you are doing, Braig?" Ansem snapped, and Braig looked at him in confusion for a second, before he grinned.

"What does it look like?" he said cheekily "Me and Xehanort were having a little fun."

"'Having fun' is now how I would word using someone that is restrained and can't fight back."

"Oh, c'mon, don't tell me that you believe his lies too!"

"I heard everything, Braig." Ansem growled, and Braig's face lost that cheeky grin as the blood drained from it. "I heard him tell you to stop. I heard him tell you that it hurt. I also heard him tell you that you didn't care! That, Braig, is rape, and I will not have a rapist under my roof, harming my son!"

Braig gave him an ugly look. "Oh sure, now that the little whore's tried to off himself, you're all concerned again! You didn't give a shit all the other times! You didn't care then, so why do you care now!"

Ansem snarled in rage and raised his fist, intending to smash it into Braig's arrogant smirk, but a hand suddenly grabbed him by the wrist and stopped him.

"Master Ansem, stop." came Aeleus' steady baritone from his right "Let me and Dilan deal with Braig. Xehanort needs you now."

The adrenaline abruptly drained away then, and Ansem became aware of multiple people inside the infirmary, all of them shouting and talking, but strangely enough, he couldn't hear Xehanort, so he let go of Braig. "Get him out of my sight." Dilan and Aeleus dragged Braig, still yelling and protesting, out of the infirmary as Ansem turned to Xehanort. Even was also in the room, and he had released the restraints, wrapped Xehanort in a blanket, and was holding him close and talking soothingly to him. Sonora was nearby, but Xehanort refused to let her look at him, and he tried to squirm away every time she reached for the blanket.

Ansem walked up and gently scooped Xehanort out of Even's arms and into his own. He couldn't carry him for long, but he had to get him away from everyone to calm him down.

And give him a long overdue apology.

"Even," he ordered "Take care of this mess."

Even bowed his head. "Yes, my lord."

"Xehanort and I will be in my rooms. No one is to disturb us." Without waiting for an answer, Ansem turned on his heel and walked out, with Xehanort clinging to him.

During the walk through the corridors towards the royal wing, they encountered many of the servants. Most of them darted out of their way quickly, but a few openly stared at Xehanort, and as they passed, Ansem heard them whispering to each other.

"The slut's in trouble now."

"Now what has he done?"

"Daddy's taking him off for a paddling." This one was followed by laughter, and it caused Xehanort to give Ansem a fearful look.

"No, Xehanort." he said as he carried him through the thankfully open door into his own private rooms "I'm not going to punish you. You did nothing wrong."

By then his arms were shaking from the exertion of carrying Xehanort so far, and he gratefully laid him down in his own massive bed and breathed a sigh of relief. Xehanort whimpered as he settled into the soft mattress and blankets, and he closed his eyes with tears tracking down his face. Ansem gently unwrapped the blanket. "Let me look at you."

Xehanort nodded but kept his eyes closed, and he was silent as Ansem looked him over. He was relieved to see that the bleeding had stopped, but he could clearly see two, small, fresh tears. Guilt wound itself around his heart again, but he tried to ignore it as he walked into his private bath to fetch a damp washcloth.

He tried to be as gentle as possible, but Xehanort still whined and squirmed a bit in discomfort as he was cleaned up, but he made no other protest. Once that was taken care of, Ansem tossed the bloodied cloth aside, not caring at all about the possibility of getting blood on the carpet, wrapped Xehanort back up in the blanket, and laid down next to him and pulled him close.

Xehanort hid his face, and Ansem could feel the boy shaking in his arms.

"Don't hold it back, Xehanort." he said gently "Let it out."

There was a hitching breath, followed by a sob, then another, and then Ansem felt tears wetting his shirt. Soon, Xehanort was crying in his arms, and all Ansem could do was hold him, rub his back, and murmur soothing words to him. He touched his nose to the scarf that covered Xehanort's head and felt his own eyes burn with tears, because he could no longer deny it to himself.

Xehanort had been the victim all along. His anger and refusal to support his son had caused the boy more pain, pain that could have been avoided easily by asking for a simple explanation before passing judgment. He could have ordered Braig to stay away from Xehanort, he could have given Xehanort a chance to explain, he could have done so many things, but he hadn't, and Xehanort had paid dearly for his hubris.

"I'm sorry." he whispered over Xehanort's sobs "I'm sorry that I blamed you. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you or give you a chance to explain. I'm sorry that I allowed people to say such hateful things about you. Most of all, I'm sorry that I ever made you feel so unwanted and unloved that you decided that death was preferable to life.

"It terrifies me to think of how close I came to losing you, and I never want to feel that way again. I never want you to feel unloved again either. I don't care what I have to do, but I will make it all up to you somehow. I promise. I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for all the hurt that I've caused you."

Xehanort shifted, and he relaxed his grip a little so the boy could scoot back and look up at him. Xehanort's face was red and wet with tears, and there was a hand print shaped bruise that was beginning to bloom on his left cheek. His nose was running and dripping around the feeding tube, so Ansem pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped his nose with it. Xehanort gave him a feeble smile, and then he nodded before he nestled close again.

Ansem let out a relieved sob and held Xehanort tight. "I love you," he whispered "I'll never push you away again."

Xehanort slowly quieted, but it wasn't until his stomach growled loudly for attention they Ansem let go of him. He laughed quietly as he sat up and called for a servant to get breakfast sent up. In short order a tray was delivered, with a full breakfast for Ansem, and a small plate with small portions of bland foods for Xehanort. There was also a large plastic syringe filled with a bright pink liquid, which was accompanied by a small card. The card was from the doctor and read:

_I want Xehanort to eat at least a fourth of what is on his plate. If he cannot do that,  
>then connect the syringe to his feeding tube and give him all of it. He must be sitting up for<br>this. Compress the plunger gently and slowly, and afterwards, fill it halfway with water, and  
>flush the tube out. I am assuming that he is not seriously hurt since you haven't brought<br>him back here, but I will need to see him later anyway. Send for me as soon as he's up to it. _

Ansem set the card aside to see Xehanort looking at his plate with faint revulsion. "Do you think you can eat some of this?" he asked, to which Xehanort swallowed heavily and shook his head. "Are you sure? Do you want to try?" Xehanort shook his head and swallowed again like he was trying not to be sick. "Alright then, let's sit you up."

Ansem piled several of the bed pillows up against the headboard and placed another one down for Xehanort to sit on. He then carefully picked Xehanort up and sat him down on them. He winced, but didn't cry or show any other signs of pain or discomfort, so Ansem picked up the syringe and pulled the cap off of the tip. He'd given Xehanort tube feedings before, after he'd been found and was too weak to eat normally, so he remembered easily what to do. Xehanort sat back passively against the pillows and didn't make a sound as he was fed and the tube was flushed out.

"Do you want to lie down?" Ansem asked him after that was done, to which Xehanort nodded tiredly. He carefully helped him lie down and tucked him under the heavy comforter. "I'm going into the other room to eat now. I'll leave the door open so you can see me -" _And so I can watch you._ he thought but didn't say. "- so just call me if you need me."

Xehanort's eyes were already closed, and he nodded once more before he went still. Ansem quietly stepped out into his sitting room, and he sat down in such a place that he could see Xehanort through the open door. He ate quickly, not wanting to leave Xehanort alone long, even if they were just a few feet apart. Not that it mattered, Xehanort was sound asleep, and Ansem wondered how long it had been since he'd had a full night's rest. After he finished his meal, he summoned a servant to collect the dishes and pass a message to Sonora to come at her convenience.

She arrived a few minutes later, and she immediately moved to the bedroom to check on Xehanort. Ansem followed her as she woke Xehanort up by gently shaking him and calling his name. He groaned quietly as he woke, but he didn't fuss or protest as the blankets were taken away so he could be examined.

"Were you able to eat anything, Xehanort?" she asked gently as she looked at the two new fissures that Ansem had spotted earlier, and Xehanort only shook his head silently. Once the exam was done, they stood him up – which he protested against – and walked him into the bathroom to give him a bath.

"Can you take him from here, Lord Ansem?" she asked after they had filled the tub, peeled Xehanort out of his sleep clothes, and settled him into the water.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." he replied as he knelt down on the floor aside the tub.

"I assume that you don't want to return him to the infirmary after what happened this morning?"

Xehanort shivered, and Ansem shook his head. "No, he'll be fine here."

"Fine then, I'll be back later this evening to check on him again. I'll send up supplements for him later as well as some numbing cream for his back. When it comes time for lunch I want him to try and eat. We need to get him eating as soon as possible."

"Understood."

Sonora saw herself out, and Ansem turned his attention to Xehanort and smiled at him gently. "Let's get you cleaned up then, shall we?" He picked up the soap and a clean cloth from the nearby rack and got started.

Xehanort was quiet and passive while Ansem bathed him, though he winced a few times while his back was scrubbed. Ansem tried to be as gentle as possible, but the bruising was so extensive and the welts so numerous that it was impossible not to cause pain there. He then drained the water, helped Xehanort stand, dried him off, wrapped him in a towel, and carefully walked him back into the bedroom. During the bath, one of the servants had brought the cream that the doctor had mentioned as well as a clean set of pajamas and another scarf for Xehanort's head.

Xehanort sat on the edge of the bed and allowed Ansem to rub the cream into the bruises on his back, and he let out a quiet sigh when it began to work. He then allowed himself to be dressed and tucked back into bed.

"I will wake you for lunch." he said quietly "Go to sleep; I'll be nearby if you need me."

Xehanort mumbled something, curled up on his right side, and closed his eyes. Ansem gently patted the comforter around his shoulders and then walked quietly out into the sitting room to find a book to read until lunchtime.

However he'd barely sat down when there was a knock at his door. He frowned and glanced into the bedroom to see that Xehanort hadn't been disturbed by the sound, so he heaved a sigh and went to answer it. He opened the door to see Even standing on the other side.

"How is he?" his Senior Apprentice asked without preamble. Ansem stepped aside and gestured for him to come in and closed the door behind him. Even immediately walked into the bedroom, and he seemed to sag with relief when he saw Xehanort sleeping safely in the middle of the bed.

"Even?"

Even slowly turned to face him, and Ansem was alarmed to see that his normally calm and collected apprentice was shaking and wringing his hands. "Even, what is wrong?" If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought that Even was going to cry, but that was impossible – Even never cried. Being raised until the age of 12 by people that considered crying a punishable offense had that effect on a person. Yet, as they stood there, he could clearly see moisture glistening on Even's cheeks, and he walked up to Even and wrapped his arms around him. Even was much taller than him, but that didn't stop the boy from lying his head on his master's shoulder.

"You just realized how close we came to losing him, didn't you?" Ansem asked gently, and Even nodded.

"He almost died," he said between hitching breaths "and it would have been our fault. Braig is the one that hurt him, but we're the ones that allowed it to happen."

"We realized our mistake in time. He's safe now, and we'll be there to help him as he heals. Braig will be punished for what's he's done, and he will never lay hands on Xehanort again." He led Even over to the nearby table and sat him down in a chair that allowed him to see into the bedroom.

"I just... can't believe that I was so cruel to him." Even continued as he wiped his eyes "I helped care for him when he was hurt, I soothed him through pain and fever, helped him stand and walk again, held him after his therapy sessions. I was with him through every step of his recovery, and he trusted me, and I just threw that trust back into his face without a second thought. What's _wrong_ with me!"

"The same thing that is wrong with me, I would imagine." Ansem said evenly as he sat down in the other chair. "It was the same for me, and to make it worse, I adopted Xehanort, made him officially my son and part of my family, yet at one point I actually considered throwing him out. I don't know what prompted me to go check on him that night, but I am so, so glad that I did, otherwise all we would have is what the Rising Falls left of him."

Even shivered. "It horrifies me to realize that we made him think that death was easier to bear than life."

"As it does me." Ansem paused for a second. "Did you take care of everything in the infirmary?"

Even nodded, gratefully accepting the subject change. "I did. It seems that your yelling at Braig attracted the servants' attention. That you caught them in bed together again has already spread throughout the castle. Some are saying that it appears that Xehanort was genuinely the victim in this case, but most are assuming that he was whoring himself out even while lying in a hospital bed. Those that I could catch, I told to keep their mouths shut about what they saw, but unfortunately, I could do nothing about those that went running to anyone that would listen as soon as they got a glimpse through the doors. I really think you need to address the staff as soon as possible, followed by the town. It is the only thing that has a chance of settling people down right now."

"I will do that," Ansem agreed with a nod "but first I think I need to speak to Xehanort and get the full story from him. I don't want to pass judgment without all the facts again."

"Agreed."

"Has Braig been taken care of?"

"Yes, I spoke to Dilan before coming here, and he informed me that Braig is safely locked away in the castle prison and that Aeleus is standing guard in case anyone gets any brilliant ideas about letting him out."

"You believe it is a possibility?"

"Yes, I do." Even said simply, and Ansem nodded.

"Fair enough. Now, I need to beg your patience and ask you for an enormous favor?"

Even understood. "You need me to handle things for you while you care for Xehanort."

"Yes. He's been alone too much. I won't leave him, not until he's ready to stand alone again."

"I will do that then." Even said, though one corner of his mouth briefly curled up in disgust. "But if I may, I wish... to help look after for Xehanort as well?"

Ansem smiled gently. Sometimes Even saw Xehanort as a younger brother, sometimes as a very annoying younger brother with all his questions, but there were other times where he treated Xehanort as a parent would treat a child. Ansem chalked it up to him caring for Xehanort during the latter's recovery. If Ansem was not there with him, then Even was, and Xehanort was close to the both of them as a result.

Now they just needed to see if that closeness hadn't been irreparably damaged.

"Why don't you join us here for lunch?" Ansem suggested "I'm sure that Xehanort will be glad to have us both here, and you can help me coax him into eating something."

Even smiled faintly. "I look forward to it." He stood up. "I will see you then."

Even showed himself out, and Ansem retrieved his book from the table that he had laid it on, settled himself into a chair that allowed him to watch Xehanort through the open door, and began to read, flicking his eyes up every few paragraphs to check on his sleeping child.

**OOOOOO**

For the next four hours, Xehanort barely moved, and at times he was so still that Ansem checked on him to ensure that he was still breathing. Even returned just after one in the afternoon, and a few minutes later, a servant appeared with lunch for the three of them. Again, Xehanort's plate consisted of bland foods, though the syringe filled with pink liquid was there too if he was unable to eat.

"I'll go get him." Even said quietly as he gave Ansem a firm look, as if daring him to refuse, but Ansem simply nodded, realizing that Even needed time to apologize. He did watch though, in case Xehanort reacted badly, as Even quietly walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. He quietly called Xehanort's name and gave him a gentle shake, and Xehanort groaned and blinked his eyes open.

Ansem tuned out their voices, not wanting to listen in on a private conversation, but he still kept an eye on them as Even spoke to Xehanort, and after a few minutes, Xehanort reached out to him. Ansem could see the relief on Even's face as he carefully sat Xehanort up and wrapped his arms around him. Ansem smiled faintly and moved over to his small dining table and took a seat. Not long after, Xehanort came out of the bedroom, leaning heavily on Even. Even walked him onto the chair on Ansem's right and eased him into it before he moved over to sit on Xehanort's right.

Xehanort swallowed heavily as he looked at his plate, and he reached out to push it away, but Ansem stopped him.

"No, Xehanort." he said firmly "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Xehanort said quietly "I think I'll go lie down some more."

"Not until you've eaten something." Even told him "You don't need to skip anymore meals."

"I don't want anything."

"Regardless," Ansem said as he scooted his chair closer to Xehanort's "You have to eat."

"I can't!" Xehanort shook his head as tears appeared in his eyes "I don't want to!"

"Xehanort-" Even began, but Xehanort cut him off.

"Why do you want me to eat anyway?" he demanded "You didn't care before when I didn't eat! You took my chair away from the dining table, and then you told the servants to ignore me! So why do you care if I don't eat!" His voice rose even higher, becoming hysterical. "You knew that I wasn't eating! You knew, and you didn't care, just like you didn't care that Braig was hurting me!" He tried to bolt up from his chair, but his legs buckled, and he crumpled to the floor before anyone could catch him. He was crying as Ansem slid out of his chair to the floor beside him and gathered him into his arms.

"Why didn't you care?" Xehanort sobbed as Even knelt down beside them "Why?"  
>Ansem looked at Even; what could they say? What excuse could they come up with could possibly justify what they had done? Instead Ansem only held Xehanort close as he cried, and Even gave him a knowing look; they wouldn't be getting Xehanort to eat today.<p>

Once Xehanort had quieted, Ansem carried him back into the bedroom, while Even followed with the syringe. They gave him a tube feeding, tucked him into bed, and sat with him while he fell asleep. They then moved out into the living room and looked at each other.

"The servants ignored him?" Even asked with a pointed look.

Ansem nodded grimly. "It appears that I will be having a word with them later."

"Did you not ever tell him how much power he has in the castle? He could have ordered them to provide him with meals. Does he not know that the only ones who have authority over him are you and me, and that I only have authority in regards to our work?"

"I realized last night that I neglected to tell him many things. I will have to have a long talk with him once he's feeling better."

Even nodded and then excused himself to attend to his duties, while Ansem sat silently beside Xehanort, watching the boy sleep as guilt clawed and tore at his heart.

**OOOOOO**

Even returned, along with Ienzo, at dinner time. Xehanort was already awake, curled up on the couch with Ansem, and he smiled faintly at Ienzo. The four of them, with Even once again helping Xehanort to walk, gathered around the small table, and Ienzo set a small plate of raspberry shortcake – Xehanort's favorite – on the table in front of him. Ansem understood what they were planning immediately, and he thought about protesting. The cake was too rich and too sweet for Xehanort to eat it so soon, but he spotted him licking his lips and realized that it just might work.

"If you want some of this shortcake, Xehanort," Even said as he sat down "then you have to eat at least a fourth of what is on your plate. Do you understand? Even if you can't eat the shortcake now for whatever reason, I'll let you have some later. Can you try doing that for me?"

Xehanort eyed the shortcake in front of him for a long moment, and then he slowly reached for his fork and started eating. The other three at the table watched him, until he realized that they were staring at him. He blushed, looked down at the table, and went to set his fork back down, but Ansem reached out and stopped him.

"Go ahead, Xehanort." he said "You're doing well." He then picked up his own fork, and nodded for the other two to do the same. Xehanort ate slowly, and there were a few times that Ansem feared that he was going to be sick, but he managed to do as Even had asked. However, instead of reaching for the shortcake, he simply put his fork down and looked down at his lap. As promised, Even pushed the shortcake over to him, but Xehanort ignored it.

"I don't want anything else." he said softly as he stared at his lap.

"Are you sure?" Ansem asked him "Don't you want to try at least a bite of the shortcake?"

Xehanort shook his head again, and then he clapped his hand over his mouth and gagged. Ansem leapt up from his chair, pulled Xehanort to his feet and began to rush him into the bathroom, but Xehanort managed to swallow his gag reflex and did not throw up.

"May I go back to bed now, Master Ansem?" he asked weakly.

"You may lay down, but the doctor is coming to check on you soon, so you have to stay awake for a little longer."

"I'm so tired."

"I know, but she'll be here soon, and then you can sleep." He walked him over to the couch and laid him down. "Just relax until she gets here, and then you may go to bed." He pulled an afghan off the back of the couch and covered Xehanort up with it. "I'm going back to the table, so just call me if you need me." Xehanort rubbed his eyes sleepily and nodded, and Ansem returned to the table. Even smiled as he sat down. "What?"

Even nodded towards Xehanort. "Look at him."

Ansem turned back around to see Xehanort curled up under the afghan, sleeping soundly, and he sighed in amused exasperation.

"He must be exhausted." Even said quietly "I wonder how long it's been since he's had a full night's rest?"

"I've no idea."

The three of them finished their meal in silence, and then Even and Ienzo departed for the night. A few minutes later, Sonora arrived, and she carefully checked Xehanort over and was pleased to hear that he had eaten. As soon as she was done, Xehanort nodded off, so Ansem carefully scooped him up and carried him into the bedroom to tuck him in. Xehanort didn't stir as the comforter was pulled up to his chin, and Ansem slipped out into the living room to see the doctor pulling something out of her bag. He frowned when he realized that it was Xehanort's restraints.

"Unless you're going to hold him while he sleeps again," she said before he could open his mouth. "Then you have to restrain him. We don't know if he's still suicidal or not, so they are a necessity for now."

Ansem shook his head. "I don't like it. I don't like tying him down like that, especially not after what happened in the infirmary earlier."

"I understand, but it's better than finding him dead by his own hand in the morning, am I correct?"

He couldn't help the shudder than ran through him then. "That is correct."

"Then he must be restrained when you are not with him."

Ansem sighed in defeat and took the restraints, and then doctor showed herself out. He walked into the bedroom and carefully turned Xehanort onto his back before he connected the thin chains to the bedposts. He then wrapped Xehanort's wrists in the cuffs before he smoothed out the comforter. Xehanort didn't stir, so Ansem kissed him lightly on the forehead and left the room to go sleep in the guest bed.

**OOOOOO**

A frightened wail woke him in the middle of the night, and he sat up in bed and realized immediately that Xehanort was crying. No, not crying, Xehanort was wailing and sobbing, and he could hear the chains on his restraints clinking, like they were being pulled on. Fear constricted his heart – had Braig somehow gotten out of the dungeon? - and he leapt out of bed and ran into the other room.

There he found no sign of Braig, but Xehanort was lying in bed, wailing and struggling against his restraints. Blood was seeping out from under the cuffs, and he had kicked the blankets off as he thrashed about. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and tears were pouring down his face.

He rushed over to him and pulled the cuffs open. Xehanort's eyes flew open at the touch, and he reached out to him. Ansem gathered his son into his arms and held him as he cried.

"What is wrong, Xehanort?" he crooned "Why are you crying?" Xehanort only shook his head and cried. "Did you have a nightmare?" Another head shake. "Did are you in pain?" Another shake of the head. "Are you frightened?" This time, Xehanort nodded, and Ansem sighed; he could guess the reason for the fear. "Were you afraid because you were restrained and worried that someone would hurt you again while you were tied down?" Xehanort nodded again. "Oh Xehanort, why didn't you call out for me?" Xehanort didn't answer, and he protested when Ansem went to let go of him. "I need to turn the light on, Xehanort. You've managed to hurt yourself, and I need to check how badly."

Xehanort whimpered, but said nothing as Ansem stood up from the bed and flipped the light on. He then returned to the bed and gently took Xehanort by the hands. The boy's wrists were rubbed raw and covered in tiny spots of blood. Xehanort turned his head away. "Let's get this taken care of, hmmm?" He stood up from the bed and went into the bathroom. He had a few basic first aid supplies in the cabinet, and he gathered some ointment, bandages, and a damp cloth before he returned to Xehanort's side. He carefully cleaned the abrasions, before smearing on the ointment that would soothe the pain and chafing and carefully wrapping his wrists in the bandages. Xehanort was silent during the procedure, and he allowed himself to be laid down and tucked in without a word, but the second Ansem reached for the cuffs again, he scooted away out of reach, dark eyes wide, and shook his head frantically.

Ansem sighed; he could understand why he didn't wish to be tied down again. "Would you like me to stay with you again tonight?" he asked, to which Xehanort nodded eagerly. "Alright then. Scoot over."

Xehanort edged over, and Ansem laid down beside him, and he smiled slightly when Xehanort nestled close to him. "We can't keep doing this, you know. There are enough rumors swirling around about you as it is."

"Don't care." Xehanort mumbled as he closed his eyes. "Not alone anymore."

"That's right. I'm here with you." Ansem pulled the comforter over them and Xehanort nodded sleepily.

"Mmhmm, love you, Master Ansem."

"I love you as well, child. Go back to sleep."

**OOOOOO**

In the morning, Even joined them for breakfast, and he mirrored Ansem's pleased smile when Xehanort ate half of what was on his plate. He also managed a few bites of shortcake.

"I scheduled a meeting with the servants for you." Even said as they ate "They will gather in their dining hall in the servants' wing at two o'clock."

Xehanort dropped his fork and gave Ansem an anxious look.

"It is all right, Xehanort." Ansem said soothingly as he reached out and lightly placed his hand on Xehanort's shoulder. "Even will stay in here with you while I am gone, and I'll come back as soon as I can."

"I want you to stay."

"I have to speak with the servants, Xehanort. I need to address the rumors that they're spinning about you, as well as how they treated you. They should not have ignored you." he added at Xehanort's confused look. "You are the heir of Radiant Garden, second in power to me. When they ignored you, they broke every oath they made to the royal family. I cannot let that slide."

"You didn't tell them to ignore me?"

"No, I did not. They did that on their own, and they will regret it."

Xehanort looked over at Even. "You won't leave me alone?"

"I won't." Even said firmly "I'll stay with you until Master Ansem comes back."

Xehanort looked down at his plate and nodded." Okay." he said in a tiny voice.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, Xehanort." Ansem said gently "I promise."

"May I go lie down now?"

"You may."

"I'll walk you there." Even said as he stood up and carefully took him by the shoulders. He walked him into the bedroom, and Ansem could hear him getting into bed. He could also hear Even murmuring to him as he tucked him in. Ansem finished his meal and waited for Even to reappear, which he did after a few more minutes.

"Is he asleep?"

Even nodded and sighed heavily. "He is."

"Even?"

"He's just so fragile right now, and it's our fault."

"I know."

"I wish there was more that I could do to help him."

"We are helping him, Even. I know that it doesn't seem like much, but we are."

Even nodded silently, and Ansem gave him a gentle smile. "Any more news to report?" he asked, changing the subject.

Even nodded again and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Braig's parents arrived earlier and demanded to see you."

Ansem winced; that was a conversation that he was not going to like. "What did they want?"

"It's reached the town that Braig is locked in the dungeon, and they demanded to know why. I held them off for now, stating that you would address the town later, because I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted to say about that situation. I am not looking forward to the explosion with that news is announced. Anyway, they demanded to know if he was going to get a trial or if he was just going to be left to rot without one."

"Oh, he's going to get one, though it will probably be a closed one. I don't think that Xehanort will handle a public trial well at all."

"I believe though, that a public trial is just what we need."

Ansem gave his Senior Apprentice a hard look. "Explain."

"You can address the people, and tell them what happened, but I don't think it will quell the rumors much, if at all. Braig's parents especially, will probably refuse to believe a word you say about him. I think a public trial, in which Braig confesses to everything, is the only way to get people to listen and change their minds about Xehanort."

"Xehanort's not going to like it."

"He may not have a choice. If he wants to wander freely through town again, it will have to happen. How do you expect him to rule once you are gone if everyone thinks him a whore?"

Ansem winced. "That is very true. We can worry about that later though. Xehanort needs time to start healing, and at some point, I'm going to have to get his side of the story from him."

"I recommend doing it as quick as possible. I'm certain that, even now, Braig's parents are ranting to everyone that will listen about their son's imprisonment."

"I will speak to Xehanort about it tonight then. I just hope he trusts me enough to tell me."

"I think he will. I imagine that he's been aching to tell his side for weeks now. Shall I arrange a time for you to address the people?"

"Schedule it for two days from now, in the afternoon. That should give me enough time to talk to Xehanort as well as give him time to regain a little strength."

"Do you intend to have him stand up there with you?"

"I am not sure. On one hand, seeing the state that he's in will do more to convince people than my words ever could, but on the other, I don't want to exhaust him, and the wrong word from someone in the crowd could possibly intensify his suicidal thoughts. While I am speaking, I will announce a trial date for Braig. That should hopefully calm his parents down."

"Alright." Even stood up. "I will return for lunch then?"

"Yes, see you then."

Once Even had shown himself out, Ansem walked quietly into the bedroom. Xehanort was sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed, so Ansem tiptoed over to the dresser and opened the top left drawer. Inside was a small box, which he carefully picked up and opened. Inside was a heavy, finely made signet ring with his family crest on it. It was an heir's ring, worn by the family heir until he or she assumed rulership of the world. Upon doing so, he or she would replace the heir's ring with the more ornate lord's ring. Ansem seldom wore the lord's ring because he found it a nuisance when working in the labs.

He carefully looked the ring over with the crest with the thorn crossed heart in the center, and his and Xehanort's family name – Hart – in the center. At one time the name had been spelled "Heart" but the "e" had been dropped several generations back. The ring was made of platinum with gold accents around the crest, and the light coming through the bedroom door shone off of its highly polished surface.

Why had he never given the ring to Xehanort? Even if Xehanort chose not to wear it, he should have at least had the ring in his possession. He sighed as he returned the ring to its box and slipped it into a pocket. Another item to add to the list of things that he should have done for Xehanort after the adoption.

"I need to start being a real parent to him." he said quietly to himself. "I treated him no different from any other apprentice. That is going to change."

"Master Ansem?" came a sleepy voice from the bed, and he looked over that way to see that Xehanort had raised his head from the pillow and was looking at him. "What's wrong?"

He smiled softly at him and walked up to him. "Nothing's wrong." he assured him as he coaxed him into lying back down. "I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You."

"Me? Am I... Are you... angry with me again?"

Ansem knelt down on the floor so he could look Xehanort in the eye. "No, no, I'm not angry. I was just thinking. There were many things that I never told you that I should have, that is all. You've done nothing wrong."

"What kind of things?"

"Go back to sleep. Finish your nap, and when you wake up, I'll explain everything."

Xehanort gave him a confused look. "Okay."

"I love you, Xehanort."

Xehanort's face lit up with a beautiful smile that warmed Ansem's heart to see. "I love you too."

"Get your rest. I'll be nearby if you need me."

Xehanort smiled again and closed his eyes, and Ansem stood and silently slipped out of the room, leaving the boy to his rest.

**OOOOOO**

Xehanort napped for another hour, and once he was awake, he wandered into the living room, wearing a robe over his nightgown, and curled up on the couch next to Ansem.

"Feeling any better?" Ansem asked quietly as he put his right arm around Xehanort's shoulders.

"A little." Xehanort replied with a yawn, and after a moment he asked; "What did you want to tell me?"

"Here sit up." Ansem helped Xehanort sit up on the couch, and then he pulled the ring box out of his pocket. "This is yours. I should have given it to you after I adopted you, and I've no idea why I didn't."

Xehanort looked at the box with a curious expression. "What is it?"

"This," Ansem opened the box and smiled at Xehanort's gasp when he saw the ring. "is the heir's ring. It is worn by the heir to Radiant Garden and has been in our family for hundreds of years."

"The Harts have been ruling Radiant Garden for that long?"

"Yes, we have."

"How could the name have continued for so long? Can women rule?"

"They can. As a matter of fact your great-great-grandmother once sat on the throne, and when she married, her husband took her name instead of her taking his. That is how the name survives."

"You have a ring like this. I've seen you wearing it off and on."

"Yes, that is the lord's ring, and the ruling lord or lady wears it while they hold the throne. Once they step down or pass away, the ring passes to their heir, and the heir's ring passes down to their heir if they have one." He held out the heir's ring for Xehanort to take. "It's yours, Xehanort. Take it. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to for the most part. I find mine to get in the way most of the time, which is why you seldom see me wearing it, but there will be times, say during official functions and such, where you will have to have it on."

Xehanort carefully took the ring box, and he stared at the ring for a long moment. "It's mine?"

"You are my heir, so yes."

He plucked the ring from the box and set the box aside. "Do I have to wear it on a certain finger?"

"Whichever one you prefer except for your left ring finger.'

"Why not that one?"

"Because that is the finger that wedding rings are worn on."

"Oh, Alright then." He then slipped the ring on the ring finger of his right hand and laughed when it rolled over until the crest was facing down.

"I daresay that your hands are smaller than mine." Ansem said with a chuckle. "We can get it sized once you're feeling better."

Xehanort returned the ring to it's box and set it aside. "What else did you want to tell me?" he asked.

"There are many things I should have explained to you after the adoption." Ansem said quietly as Xehanort curled close to him again. "You have a great deal of power here in the castle, Xehanort."

Xehanort jumped and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"The only ones with any authority over you are myself and Even, and Even's authority only extends over our work in the lab. When we're not in the labs, you override him."

"Is that why Even never directly tells me to do anything outside of the lab?"

"Yes, he knows that he doesn't have any authority over you. He may ask you to do things, but -"

" - he never directly tells me."

"Precisely."

"What does that all mean though?"

Ansem sighed. "Put simply, it means that when you told the servants to bring you meals, they should have done so. When you told Braig to leave you alone, he should have done so. They should have obeyed your orders. Disobeying you is a punishable offense. Attacking you – especially with the intent to do serious physical harm - is punishable by death."

Xehanort looked at him in confusion again. "What do you mean?"

"Xehanort," Ansem sighed heavily. "How many times did you tell Braig to leave you alone? How many times did you tell him not to touch you? How many times did he ignore you?"

Xehanort looked down at his lap. "I.. I don't know." he said in a tiny voice. "I didn't bother to count."

Ansem gently tipped his head up to look him in the eye. "No matter what you told him in the beginning, the instant he touched you after you had told him not to, he was committing rape. That in of itself is a serious crime, but committing it against the heir is even worse. He will have a trial, and if he's found guilty, he will be executed for what he's done to you."

"What! How? Why? I said he could, and I'm just a whore, and -!"

"Xehanort!" Ansem barked, cutting him off in mid sentence. "You are not a whore, and don't let me catch you calling yourself by that derogatory term again!"

Xehanort began to cry, which is precisely what Ansem had been hoping to avoid. "But, even you said I was! And you said I deserved what he did to me!"

Ansem pulled Xehanort closer and held him. "I was wrong, so very wrong. I never should have passed judgment on you without giving your a chance to explain. You are my son, and I should have put you ahead of everyone else, even Braig, and I failed to do that. I failed _you_, Xehanort. I should have kept you safe, but I didn't. I should have prevented people from saying such hateful things about you, but I didn't, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to."

"Why?" Xehanort asked through his tears.

"I can't answer that." Ansem felt his own eyes burn with tears. "I cannot give the answer you need, because I do not know myself why I acted the way I did. I can offer you no reason or excuse."

"Promise me that you won't hate me anymore."

"I never hated you, Xehanort."

Xehanort looked up at him. "You did!" he wailed. "You wouldn't speak to me unless it was to yell at me! You didn't want to be around me anymore! You didn't care that everyone was ignoring me! You said it was my fault and that I deserved it! Why, damn it, tell me _why_!"

Stunned by the sudden rant, Ansem said nothing, and Xehanort pulled himself away and turned his head. "You should have let me die." he said in a low tone. "You're only concerned now because I tried to kill myself, aren't you? If I hadn't attempted it, you still would be blaming me and pretending that I don't exist."

Ansem didn't try to refute it; he knew it was true. He reached out to Xehanort, intending to pull him back over, but the boy would have none of it. He stood up on legs that shook a little.

"I'm going back to my own rooms." he said with finality.

Ansem stood up himself. "Absolutely not." he said firmly. "You are not to be left on your own yet."

"I'm not going to kill myself, since we all know how well my last attempt worked."

"I do not care. You are to stay here until I say otherwise."

"Am I your prisoner now?"

"No," Ansem gently grasped Xehanort by the shoulders and turned him around so they were facing each other. "You are my son, and you are not well right now, so you cannot be left alone."

"Then I don't want to be your son!" Xehanort wailed as he shoved him away. "All it's gotten me is hurt!"

Xehanort dropped to the floor as his legs gave up from under him, and Ansem wiped at his own eyes as he knelt down beside him and gathered him into his arms. Xehanort tried half-heartedly to pull away, but Ansem wouldn't loosen his hold.

"It seems that lately all I've been doing to apologizing to you." he said quietly. "I can never make up for how badly I hurt you, Xehanort. All I can do is protect you and care for you while you heal and swear to never abandon you again." He touched his face to the scarf on Xehanort's head. "I love you, Xehanort."

"Do you really? Or are you just saying that to make yourself feel better?"

"I meant every word. I love you, and I'll keep saying it until you believe it." He rocked Xehanort for a few minutes. "Now how about we go back to the couch, hmmm? I'm much too old to be sitting on the floor, and the couch is more comfortable anyway."

Xehanort was quiet as Ansem stood and walked him back to the couch. He sat down and pulled Xehanort down beside him. Xehanort simply curled up next to him and said nothing, and after a few minutes, the boy fell asleep where he was. Ansem simply covered him with the afghan like he had previously and let him sleep.

**OOOOOO**

Even arrived a few hours later, just before one in the afternoon, and he smiled when he saw Xehanort sleeping with his head on Ansem's lap.

"How did everything go?" he whispered as he leaned down to tuck the afghan around Xehanort's shoulders.

Ansem shook his head slightly. "Not well," he began, but a knock on the door interrupted him before he could say more.

Even straightened up. "That's probably lunch. I'll get it." He walked away to answer the door, and a second later a servant pushing a cart came in. She spared a glance at Xehanort, and Ansem glared at her in response, so she hurriedly laid out their meal on the table and departed quickly.

Once she was gone, and the door was closed behind her, Ansem gently shook Xehanort by the shoulder. "Xehanort," he called softly, "Lunch is here."

Xehanort mumbled something and burrowed down further under the afghan. "Not hungry."

"You still need to eat." Even said as he pulled the afghan away.

"Go 'way, Even. I'm tired. Master Ansem said you have to do as I say."

"You're right, he does." Ansem said as he stood up from the couch and pulled Xehanort up with him. "On the other hand, you have to do what_ I_ say, and right now I want you to eat something."

"No," Xehanort moaned as he was stood up. "I'm not hungry. Go away!"

"But you were doing so well," Even said as they walked him to the table and sat him down, "You ate earlier."

"I'm not hungry! I want to sleep!"

Ansem put a small portion of food on Xehanort's plate and set it down in front of him. "Just eat what is here, then I'll let you go back to bed while I go speak with the servants."

Xehanort shoved the plate away. "I don't want it!" he snarled. "I want you to leave me alone!"

"Xehanort!" Ansem snapped along with his patience. "What is wrong with you! Cease this tantrum this instant!"

Xehanort flinched away from him and turned to Even. Even sent Ansem a nasty look as he pulled Xehanort out of his chair and into his arms. "It's all right, Xehanort. I'm here." Even looked at him. "Why don't you go in the other room and calm yourself, Master Ansem. I'll handle things in here." It wasn't a request.

Ansem sighed, "Fine," and he walked out of the room and into his private library. As he closed the door behind him, he could hear Xehanort crying softly, and his heart broke.

_What have I done?_

He spent nearly an hour in his library, and it was the longest hour of his life. He could hear Even murmuring soothingly to Xehanort through the closed door and the sound of footsteps walking across the carpeted floor away from the table and towards the couch. He growled angrily for a second; what was Even doing? Xehanort needed to eat, not sleep, but the sound of Xehanort crying came through the door, and his anger died where it stood.

He paced about the library floor while he listened and thought about what he had done. Yet again, he had snapped at Xehanort at the worst possible time, and there was no way the know the damage he had done to their already damaged relationship.

At least, he told himself, Even was there for Xehanort to turn to for comfort, but it wasn't right.

"It should be me out there with him." he whispered to himself. "I should be the one holding him, instead it's Even doing it because I can't hold my tongue. What is wrong with me?"

When he walked back out into the main room, he found Even seated on the couch, with Xehanort sleeping under the afghan with his head resting on Even's lap. As he walked in, Even looked up from gently running his hand over the scarf on Xehanort's head.

"It's almost time for your meeting with the servants, Master Ansem," he said without preamble "Don't be late."

"Is Xehanort... all right?"

"As well as can be expected for someone in his state that had his head bitten off because he was too tired to feel hungry."

Ansem winced as the barb struck home. "He needs to eat, Even."

"He also needs his rest. I think we need to stop being so rigid about his meal times. Encourage him to eat when he's awake, but don't force him to. Now you need to get going before you're late for the meeting. If he wakes and he's hungry, I'll make sure he eats."

"Even..."

"You're going to be late."

Ansem sighed. "Very well, Even." He looked at Xehanort for a long moment before he walked out of the room, heading towards the servants' dining hall. As he went, he kept thinking of Xehanort, crying in Even's arms instead of his own.

He reached his destination in good time, and the murmuring of nearly a hundred voices reached him through the open doors as he approached. He spent a moment gathering himself before he walked through the doors and into the hall. The servants, along with the members of the castle guard that were lined up along one wall, continued their chatter as he walked in, though some he noted looked a bit nervous.

He walked up to a podium that had been set up for him and raised his hands for silence. The crowd gradually fell silent and looked at him expectantly, and he thought of Xehanort again, sleeping in Even's comforting arms instead of his own.

"How many of you," he began. "ignored Heir Xehanort's orders?"

He swore he heard them all blink in unison in the absolute silence that followed his question, and then they began to shift around uneasily and look at each other.

"How many?" he demanded. "How many of you allowed my _son,_ your future lord, to starve because you couldn't be bothered to bring him meals when he asked you to! Answer me! How many!" There was no answer, only an uneasy muttering from the crowd. "If I have to find out myself, things will be worse. You all know the punishment for causing harm to a member of the royal family. Speak up and be honest with me now, and I will reduce your punishment. If I have to get names from Xehanort, I will _double_ it. Now how many?"

There was more uneasy muttering, and then one woman raised her hand, the one that had brought them lunch earlier actually. "Lord Ansem," she said hesitantly. "I ignored him."

Ansem stared down at her. "Why?"

She looked down at the floor. "Because," she said, "Because he was just a whore -" Here Ansem growled angrily but said nothing "- and Your Lordship was angry with him as well, so..." She trailed off and shrugged.

"How many times did you ignore him?"

"Several, my lord."

"So," Ansem said with deathly calm, "because my son and I were having a disagreement, you thought it perfectly acceptable to force him to go without."

"Yes, my lord." the woman whispered.

Ansem straightened up and gestured to Dilan, and walked over to the woman and dragged her over to one side of the room.

"But my lord!" she protested. "You said you would lessen the punishment if we were honest!"

"And I am," he said "Heir Xehanort nearly _died_ because of your actions, but because you were honest with me, you will spend years in the castle dungeon instead of being _executed_! Be grateful!" He turned to look at Dilan. "Keep her in here for now, Dilan. I want her and the others to hear everything."

Dilan nodded his head. "Yes, my lord."

Ansem swept his eyes over the crowd again. "Anyone else? Bear in mind, that if I have to get your names from Xehanort, it will be a dungeon stay, followed by an execution, so you will speak up now or regret it for the rest of you very short life!"

Long seconds of silence followed that pronouncement, and just when Ansem felt as though he was going to have to get names from Xehanort, another spoke up.

"I also ignored him, my lord." said one of the cooks. "I also barred him from the kitchen when he came looking for something to eat."

"And your reason for doing so?"

"The same, my lord."

"Because he was a whore and I was angry with him."

"Yes, my lord."

Aeleus grabbed the man by the arms and dragged him over to stand beside the woman. "Anyone else?"

More seconds ticked by, and then hands started going up. Ansem felt his blood pressure climb as he counted them: one, two, three, four, five, six, and on it went. When the hands stopped going up, in all there were twelve more of them, including one that was only a boy of eleven, the son of one of the maids. Ansem gestured the child forward, and learned that he was only doing as his father said. He sent the boy back to his mother and made a note to question his father later. Once the thirteen people were separated from the rest of the group, he moved onto the next topic.

"Two days ago," he began, his voice shaking with anger as he spoke "Heir Xehanort was violently attacked by Apprentice Braig whilst tied down to an infirmary bed. Many of you were witness to it, yet not one of you attempted to aid him. Not one of you tried to stop the attack. Xehanort was crying in pain and begging Braig to stop, but not one of you did anything to help him! Instead you ran off, telling anyone that would listen that Xehanort was whoring himself again! I want to know who saw it!" He looked over at the crowd. "Tell me now!" No one would meet his eyes. "You know who you are. You allowed my son to be raped while he cried for help! I want to know who saw it!" No one would answer him, so he turned to the members of the castle guard, who had come running at the sound of Xehanort's cries."Who did you see leaving that infirmary?"

The guards hesitated for a moment, and then they began to point out people and separate them from the crowd. Those accused began to protest their innocence.

"Enough!" Ansem barked, and the room fell silent. "If you are innocent of what you are accused of, we will find out at your trial! If you are guilty, you will get the punishment you so richly deserve!" He looked at Dilan and his fellow guardsmen. "Get them out of here. Make sure you separate them far enough apart that they can't talk to each other through the cell doors."

He watched as twenty-three people, people that had sworn oaths to protect and serve the royal family, were marched out of the room, and he felt his anger spike to new heights. Once the accused were gone, he turned to face the remaining eighty or so servants standing in front of him.

"Let me make myself very clear here." he said in a voice that made the people closest to him shiver. "The next person I hear spreading a rumor about Heir Xehanort, irregardless of whether it's true or not will deal with me. You have caused serious harm to Xehanort with your words, and it stops now. My son is not a whore, or a slut, or any of those other derogatory terms you were calling him. This is your final warning. If he gives you an order, unless that order would cause harm to himself or others, you are to do as he says. Anyone caught ignoring him again will be immediately dismissed, and you will be lucky to find a job cleaning storm drains in town. Am I in any way not understood?"

There was a general chorus of "No, my lord." and Ansem nodded sharply in satisfaction. "You are dismissed."

Ansem turned and walked quickly out of the room, but he didn't return to his rooms. Seeing the depths of the betrayal running through his own staff had angered him more than he could say, and he didn't dare return to Xehanort in such a state. The child had had enough of his anger. He walked out into the castle gardens and tried to calm himself down. His anger slowly bled away, but in it's place rose something else.

He shook his head as tears began to track down his face. "Oh Xehanort, my boy, my baby, I'm so sorry." He wiped at his eyes and practically ran for the nearest door into the castle. He had to see Xehanort. He ran through the halls and up the stairs, not bothering with the lift stops, towards his rooms. He reached them in record time, and he was relieved when he stopped in front of the door to hear Xehanort's voice coming from the other side. He quietly eased the door open and peeked in to see Even seated on the couch, with Xehanort tucked under his arm. Xehanort's back was to the door, so he didn't know Ansem was standing there, but Even's eyes darted over to him for a second before focusing back on Xehanort. On a nearby table was an empty bowl and spoon showing that Xehanort had eaten something.

"I'm so confused, Even." Xehanort whimpered, and Ansem knew immediately from the sound of his voice that he had been crying. "I want him to not hate me anymore, but he's still so angry at me. What if he decides that I'm just a whore after all and says he doesn't want me anymore?"

"I assure you that he's not going to do that, Xehanort." Even replied gently as he wiped Xehanort's tears away with a handkerchief.

"But what if he does?"

"Then I will take care of you."

"You will?"

Even nodded. "I will, but I promise you that Master Ansem is not going to turn on you again."

"I want to believe you. I want him to love me again, but after what he did... I don't know."

"You're angry at him because of how he treated you."

"Yes," Xehanort said in a tiny voice. "He's only sorry because I nearly died. If I hadn't tried to kill myself, he still wouldn't care."

Even didn't try to deny it; he also knew that it was true. "He loves you, Xehanort, and he's so very sorry for what he did."

"He hurt me, Even!" Xehanort began to cry again. "He didn't even believe me about Braig until he caught us in the infirmary! I thought parents were supposed to love their children! Not tell them that everything is their fault!"

Ansem couldn't keep silent any longer. He ran into the room and knelt down in front of Xehanort. "Oh my boy," He carefully scooped Xehanort out of Even's arms and into his own and felt Xehanort's arms come around his neck and hold on. "It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. I love you, I love you, I love you more than I love life itself, and I am never going to throw you away or say that I don't want you. Do you understand me, child? You are my son, my boy, even though you were not born to me. I chose you, which makes you so special. You are precious to me, and I can never express just how horrible I feel knowing that I made you think that death was better than life."

Xehanort raised his head and looked at him. "Why are you crying?"

"Because you are hurting, because I hurt you and allowed others to do the same. I failed you as a parent, and it is something that I will regret for the rest of my life."

"You really want me?" Xehanort asked through his own tears.

"I do, Xehanort, I do."

Xehanort laid his head down. "I love you too. Promise that you won't hate me anymore?"

"I promise, Xehanort, I promise. I may get angry sometimes, but I'm not angry at you, and I will try my hardest not to take it out on you. I'm sorry that I snapped at your earlier, and I swear that I'll be a real father to you from now on." He held Xehanort tighter. "I love you."

Xehanort didn't reply, he only cried as Ansem held him, and Ansem barely noticed when Even slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. As before after a while he moved them back to the couch, and Xehanort fell asleep in his arms. He draped the afghan over him and watched his precious child sleep as thoughts swirled around in his mind.

He still needed to get Xehanort's side of what happened with Braig from him, but after the way he had been treating the boy recently, he worried that Xehanort wouldn't trust him enough to tell him. And he needed both sides of the story before progressing with a trial for Braig.

Of course, he could toss Braig away and throw away the key easily due to his attack on Xehanort while the latter was in the infirmary. Ansem had heard with his own ears Xehanort's pleas for Braig to stop, as well as Braig's refusal to do so, so that was more than enough to have him executed for harming the heir. But... any trial for harm caused to Xehanort would surely cause their past encounters to be brought up. Braig could simply claim that Xehanort had a rape fetish or something similar and that he always refused when he really didn't mean it. He sighed; he needed the full story, from Xehanort and from Braig.

Xehanort only napped for about fifteen minutes, and when he sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily, Ansem gave him a moment to get his bearings and wake up, and then he asked the dreaded question.

"Can you tell me what happened exactly between you and Braig?" He asked the question in the gentlest told he could use, but Xehanort still jumped and looked at him like a rabbit in a hunter's sights for a moment. He swallowed heavily and looked down at the couch cushions, trembling. "Xehanort?"

"I don't want you to yell at me again." Xehanort whispered, and Ansem winced as guilt filled his heart. He reached out and tugged Xehanort over to him so he could wrap the boy in his arms.

"I'm not going to yell." he said gently. "I just need to know."

Xehanort laid his head down on Ansem's shoulder and was quiet for a few minutes, and then he began to speak.

"Braig... Braig sometimes acted as though he knew who I was."

"Did he?"

"Yes. He called me 'Mr. Master' sometimes, and once he asked me if I was Terra. He didn't say who Terra was though." He closed his eyes and shivered.

Ansem rocked him slightly. "What else did he say?" Dear lords, if Braig knew Xehanort but never told him, then...

"He asked me if the amnesia was a sick joke and said that he had my back. I asked him if he knew me, and he always said no, but I kept asking. I thought that he had to have known who I was since he acted so familiar with me. One day, he lost his temper and hit me. He then said that he would tell me if I paid the price."

"Did he say what the price was?"

"Not right then."

"Then what happened?"

"I nodded in agreement, and he took me down to the lower areas of the castle and into an empty room. He pushed my pants down, shoved me down onto my hands and knees, unsnapped his pants, and knelt behind me. He told me that this was the price and asked if I was prepared to pay it."

Ansem felt a sick feeling coiling in his gut. "Please, Xehanort, please tell me that you didn't say yes."

Xehanort whimpered, though Ansem wasn't sure if it was due to the trauma of the event he was relating of if he felt that Ansem was angry at him for agreeing. "I did." he whispered. "He stuffed a rag in my mouth," A sob slipped out. "grabbed me by the hips, and..." Xehanort began to cry, and Ansem closed his eyes and tightened his arms around the boy. "It hurt so much, but he wouldn't stop."

Ansem took a deep breath to steady himself. "Did you at any time tell him to stop."

"I don't think so. I think I just screamed."

Ansem winced at that. "Did you at any point try to get away?"

"Yes, right after he... entered me. He had me by the hips and wouldn't let go, and he said that it was the price and that there was no backing out now." Xehanort gave into the tears then, and Ansem held him and rocked him and tried not to imagine the scene that had just been described to him. Still though, he was somewhat relieved. Braig's refusal to let Xehanort crawl away even though the boy was screaming in pain changed everything and tilted things in favor of Xehanort.

He waited until Xehanort's sobbing had quieted. "What happened after that? Did he try to help you after he was done?"

"No, he just left me there. I think I managed to clean up and get back to my rooms, but I'm not sure. It's.. hard to think straight when you're in so much pain. It hurt to walk and sit down for a while."

"Yes, I remember that. You walked very slowly for a week or so, and you were very careful about sitting down."

"Yes," Xehanort whimpered, and Ansem felt guilt fill his heart again. He should have known then that something was wrong. He had questioned Xehanort about it, but the questions had always been brushed off. He should have hauled the boy in his office and demanded answers. He should have done something!

Xehanort continued his tale, so Ansem shoved his self incriminating thoughts aside. He would have plenty of time for them later. "A week later, he told me that I had been a master swordsman."

"That was all he said?"

"At the time."

"Tell me."

"He approached me again another week after that when I was alone in the lab. He said he wouldn't be so rough and that I might even enjoy it."

"And you agreed."

" I _needed _to know, Master Ansem! I _had_ to let him do it! I was tired of not knowing who I am!"

Ansem gently tilted Xehanort's head back and wiped his tears away with a handkerchief. "Oh child, why didn't you come to me? I could have talked to Braig about your suspicions and spared you so much pain. Why didn't you trust me?"

Xehanort looked down and said nothing, and Ansem realized immediately what the problem was. Xehanort simply hadn't known any better. With no memories to draw on about how a family should work, it likely never occurred to him to bring Braig's actions to a parent's attention. What's more, he was surrounded by people whose parents were either dead – Ansem himself, Aeleus, and Ienzo – or not trusted and ignored – Even, Dilan, and Braig. Xehanort simply had no idea what to do with the information that he had been given.

"Did he tell you anything after it was done?" he asked.

"He told me that my family was gone."

"What all did he tell you?"

Xehanort laid his head back down. "He said that my homeworld was destroyed, that I had no friends, only enemies that wanted me dead -"

That would explain the severity of Xehanort's injuries upon his rescue, Ansem thought.

"- had an apprentice of my own, but that he... died."

"You had an apprentice? Did he saw for what?"

"No," Xehanort's voice was so soft that Ansem could barely hear him. "He wouldn't tell me how he died or what his name was." There was a sniffle. "He also said that I... that I... was a... murderer, that had killed my own brother in my quest to gain power from some kind of hearts."  
>"Hearts?"<p>

"He wasn't clear on that."

"Did he tell you other things?"

"A few more, but then he stopped."

"Did he stop approaching you after that?"

"No, he just stopped telling me things."

"So he quit holding up his end of the agreement?"

Xehanort nodded slightly. "That's when I started trying to refuse him, but he wouldn't listen. He would just... push me down on the nearest piece of furniture and do what he wanted anyway. If I tried to push him off or get away, he punished me by making it hurt worse." Xehanort shivered. "He said I was his to use however he wanted. He didn't care where I was or what I was doing. If he found me alone, he would take me. He also told me that it wouldn't matter if I told anyone; since I had agreed to let him touch me, then I was the one in the wrong and that no one would care."

Ansem blinked his own tears away as Xehanort cried on his shoulder. He should have known. He should have known that something was wrong. He should have realized that Xehanort was being hurt. He should have done _something_ to protect his child.

But wait, he thought, he _had_ realized eventually that something was wrong, and he had asked Xehanort about it.

"When I asked you if everything was alright," he said quietly. "why didn't you tell me then?"

"I almost did," Xehanort sobbed. "but Braig was in the room, and he was glaring at me, and I knew that if I told you, he would hurt me much worse than he ever had before. And then later, he told the others about a woman that had slept around and then cried rape when she was found out."

Ansem felt his heart sink; he had heard about that woman, and he had a feeling where Xehanort was going with it. And he was right.

"Everyone jeered at the story, called her a whore, and said she had gotten what she deserved, and Braig looked at me with a clear warning."

"Which was?" Ansem prompted gently.

"That no one would care if I said anything."

Ansem winced. "What happened after that?"

Xehanort's voice went quiet again. "He came to me that night when I was in my rooms, and he said he had to punish me for nearly telling. That was the night you found us."

"I assume that he kept coming to you after I... " _Rejected you, hurt you, said that you deserved it._ "refused to listen to you in the infirmary?"

"Yes. Sometimes he would beat me too. He liked using his belt on me. He said is was just to ensure that I never told anyone."

Using violence and threats to coerce his victim into keeping silent was another mark against Braig, Ansem thought as Xehanort closed his eyes, worn out by the tale that he had just told.

"How did we not hear you? Did you cry or scream during any of this?"

Xehanort didn't open his eyes. "He either did it someplace where we were alone, or he gagged me or made me hide my face in a pillow."

Ansem squeezed his eyes shut and held Xehanort tight. He could just imagine Xehanort lying face down on his bed, his face buried in his pillow, his muffled screams sounding in the room as Braig whipped his back bloody with a belt. He realized then the source of the welts and scar tissue that Sonora had found, and he shivered.

Xehanort fell asleep in his arms a few minutes later, and Ansem stayed where he was until dinner time, holding Xehanort while he slept and trying to ignore the images of Xehanort in pain that kept flashing through his mind.

**OOOOOO**

After dinner, Sonora returned to check on Xehanort, and she was very happy to hear that he was eating at every meal.

"If you keep this up, Heir Xehanort," she told him. "then I will pull the feeding tube tomorrow night, but only if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Understand?"

Xehanort nodded and gave her a wan smile. She returned it and stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow night, and I want to hear that you've eaten at every meal." She then showed herself out.

"Ready to take a bath and go to bed?" Ansem asked once she was gone, and Xehanort looked at him and nodded. "I'll go run your bath then."

He sat outside the bathroom door and let Xehanort take care of himself, though he needed some help getting out of the tub.

"Will you stay again, Master Ansem?" Xehanort asked quietly as Ansem helped him dry off and dress for the night. "I don't.. I don't want to be tied down."

"Yes, I'll stay if you makes you feel better." Ansem said with a gentle smile. Xehanort returned it and allowed himself to be walked to bed and tucked in without a word. "I'll be right back." Xehanort smiled again and closed his eyes, while Ansem slipped out of the room to get ready for bed himself and turn off the lights in the rest of his apartment. He then returned to the bedroom and laid down beside Xehanort, who curled close to him. He pulled the blankets over them and brushed Xehanort's remaining hair out of his face. "Goodnight, child. I love you."

"Mmmm, goodnight Master Ansem. Love you too."

**OOOOOO**

To Ansem's surprise, Xehanort slept long and deep throughout the night. With all the napping he had been doing, had had expected him to wake up early, and after the conversation that they had just had, he had also been expecting nightmares. Neither problem manifested itself however, and Xehanort was still sleeping soundly when Ansem woke at his normal time of 7 am.

Ansem had a quick breakfast, and then he once again left Xehanort under Even's care and took a trip down to the castle dungeon's to speak with Braig. Dilan showed him to Braig's cell, where Aeleus was keeping guard by the door.

Though he had done terrible things to Xehanort, (And Ansem had no reason to believe that Xehanort was lying to him.) Braig had been given nicer accommodations than most, as per his status as one of Ansem's apprentices. A quick peek through the barred window on the door showed him relaxing in a chair with a book under the room's only light with a partially eaten breakfast on a tray nearby.

"Are you sure that you wish to go in there alone?" Aeleus asked. "There is no way to know how he might react."

"I will be fine." Ansem said with conviction that he didn't really feel. "He's refused to talk about Xehanort since he was locked up here. This may be the only way to get him to talk."

"We will be right outside the door." Dilan insisted. "If he tries anything, we will come running."

Ansem couldn't help but be touched by their concern. "Thank you boys, but I doubt that you'll be needed."

"Just the same..." Aeleus added as he unlocked the door.

Ansem smiled slightly at them as he walked in, but that smile vanished once he was inside the cell with Braig.

Braig looked up from his book. "What do you want?" he asked, sounding annoyed at the interruption.

Ansem sat down on the cot. "I want to talk to you about Xehanort."

"What has the little slut been saying now?"

"I heard his side of the story last night; now I want to hear yours."

"Nothing to say." Braig said as he looked back down at his book. "Would it be possible to get something else down here? This book is getting old."

"Talk to me, Braig. I want to know. I need to know. I don't want you to receive an unfair punishment. What happened between you and Xehanort?"

Braig shrugged. "I asked if I could fuck him. He agreed, so I did."

"Did you at any point offer something in return?"

"Nope."

"Did you at any point act as if you knew who he was before the memory loss?"

"Why in the hell would I do that?"

"Did he ever ask you to stop?"

"Not once."

"Did he at any point try to get away or act as if he was in severe pain?"

Braig lowered the book. "Why the hell do you want to know? What's the little fucker saying about me?"

"What he is saying is not important. What is important is what you say. Why did you ask him for sex, Braig?"

"Because I wanted a piece of his ass. Why else?"

"It seems as though you got more than a piece. I've been reliably informed that the sex needed to cause the injuries that Xehanort suffered would had to have been very violent and very painful. Why Braig, why did you do that to him?"

"If he didn't want it, he shouldn't have agreed to it."

"You didn't answer my question."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to say why you did that to him."

"I already told you. I wanted some, and he agreed to let me have it."

"Did your agreement include beating him, slapping him, and kicking him?"

"What? I didn't do that to him. Maybe the slut found someone else after I was done with him."

"You forget, Braig, that I caught you with Xehanort in Xehanort's bed. Xehanort was tied up, and his face was so battered that he could barely open his eyes. No one else was in that room, only the two of you, so answer my question."

"The slut tried to renege on our agreement, so I taught him a lesson."

"So he tried to get you to stop." Ansem said flatly, though he could feel his temper beginning to rise. "And the day I caught you in the infirmary? Why did you not stop when Xehanort asked you to?"

"Same as before."

"So you raped him."

"It's not rape when he agreed."

Ansem swallowed the rage that boiled up from within him and abruptly stood up. He walked out of the cell, and Aeleus securely locked it behind him.

"Master Ansem?" Dilan asked hesitantly. "What did he say?"

Ansem sighed and shook his head. "Send for the Questioners." he said heavily.

"When would you like them to come and question Xehanort?"

"As soon as they are done with Braig. I want this done and over with quickly."

"It will be as you say, my lord."

"I will be with Xehanort if anyone needs me."

'Yes, my lord."

Ansem practically stalked his way back to his quarters, but once he reached the royal wing, he forced himself to calm. It wouldn't do to take his anger out of Xehanort again, especially since Braig's words had proved to him that his son had been guilty of nothing worse than bad judgment.

When he stepped through the door into his living room, he found Even reading a book while occasionally flicking his eyes up every now and then to check on Xehanort, who was still sleeping.

"Did he wake at all?" he asked as he shed his coat and scarf.

Even closed his book. "No," he replied in a quiet voice. "he slept the entire time you were gone." He looked up at Ansem. "How did it go? What did Braig say?"

"I sent for the Questioners to speak to him. He all but admitted to me that he raped Xehanort frequently. They'll question him and then come speak to Xehanort."

"I hope they don't upset him too much."

"It might be unavoidable; he cried when telling me everything. I'm sure talking about it again will cause a similar reaction."

Even sighed. "Especially when speaking to someone that he barely knows. You know that you won't be able to stay in here with him during the questioning, but he's going to want you to."

"I know. I'll explain it to him once he's up." Ansem pulled out his pocket watch. "Which will have to be sooner and not later, because I expect them before lunch, and I would like for him to eat before then - if possible." He hastily added at Even's look.

He heard Xehanort shifting in bed then and looked up through the open door to see him sitting up and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I'll show myself out." Even whispered as he stood up from the couch. Ansem nodded absently as he walked into the bedroom and sat down on the bed beside Xehanort.

"Good morning, Xehanort." he said softly.

Xehanort yawned. "Good morning, Master Ansem."

"Ready to get up for the day?"

Xehanort yawned again and nodded. "I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"

Ansem tried not to shout for joy at the question. "What would you like?"

"Whatever everyone else is having is fine."

"I'll send for breakfast for you then. Why don't you get ready for the day while I do that?"

"Do I have to get dressed? None of my clothes are up here."

"Just having a robe on over your nightgown is fine. Later, I'll see about having some of your clothing brought up."

"Okay,"

Ansem leaned over and kissed Xehanort on the forehead. "I'll be right back."

Xehanort smiled slightly and pushed the blankets away as Ansem wandered back into the living room to call a servant about breakfast. When he returned, he found Xehanort standing in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at his mostly bald reflection. Without the scarf, it was possible to see the new hair that was growing out, but it was very short, and it looked as though it would be a few years before Xehanort had his full mane of hair back.

He walked up to the boy and hugged him. "It will grow back, Xehanort."

"I know," he said quietly. "It's just... did you have to cut it off?"

"It was too knotted up to save, so don't worry about it. Your breakfast will be here soon."

"You're not eating?"

"I ate earlier, before you woke up. Now come along." He slipped a robe over Xehanort's shoulders and led him out into the living room, and a few minutes later a servant appeared with Xehanort's breakfast.

Ansem waited until the boy had eaten most of what was on his plate and pushed it away before he brought up the questioning that was due to come soon. He walked him back over to the couch and sat down with him and waited until he was comfortable before he began to speak.

"Here soon, people that work in the courts are going to come and talk to you about Braig." he said gently.

Xehanort paled, and Ansem felt him stiffen beside him. "What?" he asked in a small voice. "Why?"

"They're talking to Braig now, and once they've gotten his side, they'll come talk to you to get your side."

"Can't you just tell them what I told you?"

"No, child. They need to hear it directly from you."

"But, I don't... I can't, Master Ansem."

"I know, child, I know, but you have to do this. I promise they won't be harsh with your or anything, but you have to tell them everything, even if it's embarrassing or upsetting. They need to know the entire truth before we can proceed."

"You'll be with me, right?" Ansem winced slightly. "Right? Please tell me I don't have to do it alone!"

"I'm sorry, Xehanort, but to prevent it from seeming as though I'm influencing you in any way, I cannot be in the room with you."

"No, no, I want you there!"

"I can't, child. I wish I could stay, but it could be seen as me coercing you, so I have to stay away."

"What about Even then? Can he be with me?"

"No, Xehanort, no one but the Questioners can be with you."

"But -"

"I will be back as soon as they are done. Just tell them everything that you told me, and it will be over before you know it."

Xehanort laid his head down. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do. They won't be harsh with you, they won't judge you, and they won't hurt you. They just need to know what happened between you and Braig."

"I don't want to."

"I understand, but you have to do this. As soon as they are done, I will come back. I won't go far, so I'll come back as soon as you've told them everything."

"Do you promise me?"

"I do. I promise that I'll come right back."

Xehanort closed his eyes and tightly grasped Ansem's shirt in both hands, but the moment was interrupted by a firm knock on the door. Xehanort sighed, let go of Ansem's shirt, and sat up.

"That's them." Ansem said quietly, to which Xehanort hung his head and said nothing. "It will be alright." He stood up and went to the door to answer it. On the other side were three Questioners, and Ansem gestured for them to follow him down the hallway a few steps.

"Xehanort is very fragile right now." he warmed them. "Do not raise your voice to him. Do not act in any way that can be taken as threatening, and above all, do not in any way insult or harass him. He's finally starting to settle down, and I don't want a repeat of the suicide attempt. Understood?"

The two men and one woman nodded. "Yes, m'lord." they said in unison, and Ansem nodded in satisfaction and led them back into his living room. Xehanort was still on the couch, and he looked up when they walked in. Ansem walked over and knelt down in front of him.

"I have to go now." he said gently. "I will be back as soon as I can."

Xehanort nodded faintly and reached out for a hug. Ansem wrapped his arms around him and realized that the boy was shaking slightly. "No one will hurt you, Xehanort." he whispered. "Just tell them everything, and it will be over before you know it."

Xehanort nodded again, so Ansem squeezed him before he let go and stood up. He then walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, while he tried to ignore the ache in his heart. He forced himself to walk down the hall while he tried to think of a distraction. He needed to go to his study and check up on things with Even, but that would require going into the castle basement, which was too far from Xehanort. He needed to stay in the royal wing for when the questioning was through. So what could he do in the meantime... ah!

He paused in front of a door that was at the opposite end of the hallway from his own and pulled his keyring out of his pocket. A quick turn of a skeleton key unlocked the door, and he stepped into a large suite that occupied one of the castle's towers. The rooms were larger, and occupied different floors, connected via a spiraling staircase. The suite was intended for a large family, and while Ansem didn't think that Xehanort had any interest in marrying and fathering children, it was close to Ansem's own rooms, which is precisely what he wanted. Later, once Xehanort was better, he could move if he wanted.

Drop cloths covered the furniture, and a heavy layer of dust covered everything else. Even the windows were obscured by a heavy layer of dust and grime. Yes, these would do perfectly for Xehanort once they were cleaned up, so he walked over to the call box to summon the servants.

Three of the maids arrived in response to his summons, and he set them to work cleaning the suite, while he dispatched two others down to Xehanort's apartment to pack up his personal effects. Ansem stood back out of the way and watched them work, and soon the rooms were clean and ready for use. Of course, it would be some time yet before he felt comfortable letting Xehanort out of his sight, but a servant could keep them dusted until then. The two that he had sent to fetch Xehanort's personal items arrived, and he frowned when the saw the single box that each was carrying.

"That can't be all of it." he said.

"It is, my lord." one replied. "He doesn't have much."

"Just his clothing, a few books, and his writing materials." said the other.

Ienzo has more possessions than that. Ansem thought as they carried the boxes into the room and set them down on a table. They could sort through them and put them away later, when Xehanort was feeling better.

"Lord Ansem?" Ansem turned to see one of the Questioners standing in the open doorway. "We are finished."

"How did it go? How is Xehanort?" he asked as he stepped out of the suite and set off at a brisk pace down the hallway.

"It went well," the man responded. "Heir Xehanort is quite upset, but he did what was needed. Now," the Questioner readied a writing board and a pen. "I have a few questions for you."

Ansem felt his heart drop, but he kept it off of his face. "Go ahead."

"When did you first become aware of what was going on between Heir Xehanort and Apprentice Braig?"

"I became concerned about Xehanort about four months ago when I noticed him acting strangely and..." Ansem told the Questioner of his concerns, Xehanort's reaction, of catching Xehanort and Braig in bed together, and his own reaction the following day.

"So you did not give him a chance to explain?"

Ansem sighed heavily. "To my eternal shame, no, I did not."

"Why not?"

"I honestly cannot say. I assume it was because I have known Braig since he was a child and couldn't picture him doing anything like this, not until I saw it with my own eyes."

"You realized there is a good chance that this will come out during a trial."

"I understand that, but I don't care. Whatever it takes to keep my son safe."

"So the suicide attempt made you change your mind?"

"No," Ansem flushed in embarrassment. "I still believed that Xehanort was the guilty one then. It wasn't until the next morning that I caught Braig in the act, after Xehanort had asked him to stop multiple times, that I realized that I had been wrong."

"Did at any time before the suicide attempt did you become alarmed as Heir Xehanort's behavior and physical condition?

"Not until the night he tried. I had gone to check on him because his behavior earlier and been very worrying, and I found him as he was heading in the direction of the Falls."

"Why didn't you stop him sooner?"

"At first, I was simply curious as to where he was going, but when we were in town, I lost track of him for a few minutes after someone hurled a rock at him. I stopped them from throwing a second, and by then Xehanort had already vanished down the stairs to the Rising Falls."

"So you stopped the attempt, and then summoned the guard to take Heir Xehanort back to the castle."

"No," Ansem looked at the Questioner in confusion. "I didn't call them. They just arrived a few minutes after I pulled Xehanort out of the Falls."

The man made a note. "We'll have to speak to the guards then. Who all appeared down there?"

"Dilan, Aeleus, Kasen, Harold, Sela, and... Braig." A thought occurred to Ansem them. "Do you have anymore questions for me?"

The Questioner tucked his writing board under his arms. "Not at the moment, my lord. If we have any more questions for you or Heir Xehanort, we will let you know. Good day, my lord."

The man walked away, and Ansem continued on his way back to his own rooms, his mind awhirl with thoughts. Had Braig known that Xehanort was going to attempt suicide? Had he been watching him somehow? The hallway was relatively short, but Ansem was running by the time he reached his door. He needed to see Xehanort, to make sure that he was all right, to see that there was no one in there with him. He yanked his door open and stepped in, heart hammering, to see Xehanort alone in the living room, curled up in a ball on the couch, rocking himself. He looked up when Ansem came in, and his eyes were red, swollen, and damp with tears.

"Master Ansem," he whimpered as he reached out, and Ansem covered the distance between them in an instant. He sat down on the couch and gathered Xehanort to him, and the child curled close to him and began to bawl. Ansem could feel the tears soaking into shirt as he rocked Xehanort in his arms and rubbed his back.

"Did you tell them everything?" he asked after a moment, and Xehanort sniffled and nodded. "Then you did well, and I am proud of you." Xehanort only sobbed in response. "I am here with you now, and I love you."

Xehanort only cried, and Ansem shoved thoughts of Braig to the side for the time being. Xehanort was safe in his arms, and that was enough for now.

**OOOOOO**

The following morning, Ansem was once again up before the dawn, and Even arrived not long after he dressed himself. Ansem then sent for Sonora, and the three of them shared a quick breakfast while they discussed plans for Ansem to speak with the townspeople later in the afternoon.

Ansem's main concern was for Xehanort. "Is he well enough to stand up there with me?"

Sonora shook her head. "I wouldn't recommend it, Lord Ansem."

"Oh? I figured that seeing him and his poor physical condition would help change some minds about him."

Sonora shook her head again. "He is not ready, my lord. First of all, I believe that he would not be able to handle the crowd and all of the judgmental eyes on him. Second, he is still very frail, physically and mentally. Standing up there with you would exhaust him quickly, and he just tried to kill himself only days ago. Do you wish to run the risk of a heckler in the crowd upsetting him and making him want to try again? Third, I am unsure as to whether it would really make the message sink in any better. I understand what you're trying to do, but I rather doubt it would do anything good and would likely only cause harm, so it's probably better for him to stay back from that."

Ansem looked at Even. He trusted the head of the castle's medical staff, but he still wanted Even's thoughts. "Even?"

His Senior Apprentice didn't hesitate. "I agree with her fully, Master Ansem. Xehanort does not need to be a part of it."

"Part of what?" came Xehanort's sleepy voice, and they all looked up as he walked into the room, wearing one of Ansem's robes over his nightgown and rubbing his eyes sleepily. He wandered up to the table and sat down between Ansem and Even and began to fill a plate without having to be prompted. Sonora smiled at the sight.

"I am going to speak to the town later." Ansem explained. "I was thinking about having you up there with me."

There was a _clang!_ as Xehanort's fork slipped from his nerveless fingers and clattered to his plate. He shook his head vehemently. "No! I don't want to do it!"

"It is alright, Xehanort." Even said soothingly. "You are going to stay in here with me."

"I don't have to go?"

"No," Sonora assured him. "You are to stay right in here with Senior Apprentice Even." Here she leveled her gaze at Ansem. "I've already made my opinion known on this."

Ansem conceded defeat. "No, Xehanort, you don't have to go." he said. "Now finish your breakfast." Xehanort gave him a weak smile, picked up his fork, and began to eat.

Xehanort was content to stay close to Ansem as the hours ticked by, and Ansem was content to let him. After lunch Even came by with some clothing from Xehanort's new rooms down the hall (That Xehanort didn't yet know about.), though Xehanort was happy to lounge around in his sleep clothes.

"I'll just go back to sleep soon anyway." he said, and Ansem couldn't fault his logic. Sure enough, just after lunch, he curled up on the couch and dozed off. Ansem longed to stay with him, but he had a town to visit and a speech to give. Instead he only patted the afghan around Xehanort's shoulders, kissed him lightly on the cheek and turned his attention to Even.

"I will look after him, Master Ansem." Even said firmly. "You don't need to worry. I'll take care of him."

Ansem sighed. "I know that you will, Even. I just wish I didn't have to leave him at all right now. My child is sick, and here I am, leaving him in the care of others."

"You are ensuring his future; think of it that way. Now you had better get going. The people are waiting."

Ansem sighed again and nodded. He lightly touched his fingers to Xehanort's cheek and then walked out of the room. Once out in the corridor, Dilan and Aeleus fell into step on either side and just behind him. As two of his apprentices, they also acted as his escort when needed. Just days before, Braig would have walked directly in front of him, but it looked as though that would never happen again. He knew that after speaking to him, the Questioners had spoke to Sonora and that discussion had left them feeling queasy over the severity of Xehanort's injuries. They had also spoken to the guard members that had arrived at the Falls that night. Ansem didn't know what all they had learned, and he wouldn't find out until Braig's trial. He hoped that there were no unpleasant surprises that would result in Braig going free. Granted, as the absolute authority in the world of Radiant Garden, Ansem could personally see Braig imprisoned for life, but that wouldn't go over well with the people if Braig was declared innocent in court.

There would be no questioning of the servants that had ignored Xehanort. Since they were servants of the royal family and no actual crime had been committed, it was up to Ansem to handle that matter. He would take care of that in the next day or so, after speaking with the people. As to the ones that ignored him when he was in obvious danger while in the infirmary, those would require other measures.

Accompanied by Dilan and Aeleus, he walked through the castle entrance, and down the long, winding staircase towards the town center, where most of the townsfolk were gathered. He mounted the steps to the platform and stepped up to the podium, while Dilan and Aeleus stood behind him. He raised his hands for quiet and winced inwardly; this was not going to be good in any possible way. He knew that news of Braig's arrest and Xehanort's poor health and attempted suicide had reached the town, but he wasn't sure what, if any, kind of impact the news had made.

Once the murmuring crowd had fallen silent, he steeled himself, took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"I am sure that most of you are aware of the rumors swirling around about Heir Xehanort and Apprentice Braig, so I will address those rumors one at a time.

"Yes, Apprentice Braig has been arrested on multiple counts of rape and causing severe harm to a member of the royal family. The Questioners have done their work, and they have informed me that we have enough to proceed with a trial, which will take place three days from now.

"Yes, Heir Xehanort attempted to take his own life six days ago, and he is in poor mental and physical health. He is under a doctor's care, and he is slowly improving, though it will be some time before he is well enough to venture outside the castle." He raked his gaze over the crowd. "Let me make this clear. No matter what the outcome of Apprentice Braig's trial, I do not want to hear anyone referring to Heir Xehanort as a slut, whore, or any other such derogatory term. If you do not like him, then that is your business, but the cruelty shown by everyone around him was enough to drive him to attempt suicide! It will not happen again! Am I understood?" There were nods from the crowd. "Good."

"On to my next point," he continued. "Many servants admitted to ignoring Heir Xehanort's orders, and they will be dealt with appropriately. Still others are accused of ignoring his cries for help when he was in distress, instead running off to start more rumors. Again, they will be dealt with when the time comes. For those among you that have family among the castle staff, you will hear the results of that tomorrow sometime."

"What about Braig?" someone shouted out, and Ansem zeroed in on the source: one of Braig's older sisters.

"What about him?"

"What if it becomes known that the slu-, Heir Xehanort had been the guilty one? What then?"

Nothing, Ansem thought, since Xehanort has yet to actually accuse Braig of anything. "If that is the case, then Heir Xehanort will be dealt with."

"But you don't think that that's the case." someone else shouted.

"No," Ansem stated simply. "I do not."

"Why not?"

"I have my reasons, reasons that I will not disclose here. All will be explained at Apprentice Braig's trial in three days. Until then, please do your best to quiet the rumors running around and let Heir Xehanort recover in peace. Thank you."

Ansem stepped back away from the podium and turned to Dilan and Aeleus. "Let's go."

They walked back up the stairs to the castle, while Ansem thought about the short speech that he had just given. It had gone better than he thought it would have, but only time would tell if it would actually have any effect on anyone's opinion. He was glad then that he had listened to Sonora and Even; he didn't want to think of how Xehanort would have reacted to Brag's sister. He likely wouldn't have handled Ansem's reply well either.

Dilan and Aeleus left him at the door to his rooms, and he stepped through to find Xehanort still asleep on the couch, with his head on Even's lap.

"That was fast." Even commented without looking up from the book he was reading.

"It went better than expected." Ansem replied as he hung his scarf and lab coat on the rack by the door. "Did he wake?" he asked as he gestured in Xehanort's direction.

"Only long enough to crawl over to me and lay his head down. Though I suppose there are worse things then being a pillow."

"Oh Even, that means he still trusts you."

Even looked up from his book, blinked, and then smiled. "I guess you're right. If it is alright with you, I will stay here until he wakes. No sense in disturbing him."

"That is fine. We wouldn't want to take his favorite pillow away, now would we?"

"No," Xehanort mumbled sleepily. "I'm comfortable."

Even and Ansem laughed quietly. "Go back to sleep, Xehanort." Even said with a chuckle. "I'm not moving any time soon."

"Mmm, okay."

Xehanort settled back down and went quiet, and Even and Ansem shared an amused glance as he drifted off.

**OOOOOO**

That night, Sonora made good on her promise to pull Xehanort's feeding tube. Her duties around the castle had prevented her from doing it the previous night as she had intended, but Xehanort didn't complain.

Neither did Ansem, who took the removal of the tube as another step forward in Xehanort's recovery. The two of them had dinner, and Ansem regaled Xehanort with tales of his grandparents and great-grandparents. Xehanort was enthralled, and he begged to hear more when Ansem called a halt to the stories late in the evening.

"Just one more story?" he pleaded as he was coaxed into bed.

"Not tonight." Ansem said firmly as it occurred to him how childlike Xehanort could be at times. "It's late, and you're tired. I will tell your more tomorrow, after I've dealt with the servants."

"You will?"

Ansem couldn't help but smile at Xehanort's eagerness. "I will. Now lie down and go to sleep. I love you."

Xehanort laid down on his side and smiled when Ansem patted the blanket around his shoulders. "I love you too. Goodnight."

"Do you want me to stay again tonight?"

Xehanort shook his head slightly as he closed his eyes. "No, I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmhmm," He opened one eye and peered up at Ansem. "Are you going to tie me down?"

"No," Ansem said after a moment of thought. "I think I can trust you not to hurt yourself, can I?"

"I won't do anything."

"Swear to me?"

"I swear."

"Alright then, we'll leave the restraints this time."

Xehanort smiled again and closed the eye that he had opened. "Goodnight, Master Ansem."

He still needed to talk to Xehanort about that. "Goodnight, Xehanort."

**OOOOOO**

Xehanort slept soundly throughout the night, though the same could not be said for Ansem. While his mind believed that Xehanort was no longer a danger to himself, he found himself unable to relax, and his heart kept compelling him to go check on him. Each time, he found the boy sleeping peacefully, and he would go back to bed, but barely an hour later, he would find himself wandering back over to his bedside to check on him again.

By the time sunlight began to shine through the windows, Ansem had barely slept at all, but he forced himself to leave his comfortable bed and go take a shower. The hot spray woke him up enough to get dressed and ready for the day, and he walked out into the living room to see Xehanort was already up and in the process of ordering breakfast. He was also dressed, in a pair of black pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His feet were covered with socks, and as always, a scarf was tied around his head, with a few hairs poking out from under it here and there. He was still so very thin, and he was shaking slightly by the time he cut off the call box and wandered over to the couch to sit down.

"How are you feeling?" Ansem asked as he joined him there, and he smiled slightly when Xehanort inched over and nestled close.

"Just tired still."

"It will go away as you regain your strength."

"I figured as much." Xehanort laid his head against Ansem's shoulder and sighed. "I just... don't like feeling so tired all the time."

"No one does, but trust me; you'll feel better in good time."

"Time needs to hurry up then. I don't like being mostly bald either."

Ansem laughed quietly. "It will grow back." He put an arm around Xehanort's shoulders. "Now, I have something I would like to talk to you about."

He couldn't miss the fear that flickered across Xehanort's eyes. "What?"

"You are my son, yet you still call me 'Master Ansem'."

"Is that wrong of me?"

"No, no, no, no, you can call me whatever you want, but I apparently neglected to tell you that it's perfectly okay for you to call my something other than Master."

Xehanort looked at him in confusion. "Like what?"

"Like one of the many words that children use to address their father."

"Y.. you mean...?"

Ansem nodded. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"But you would like me to?"

"I would, but only if you want. I don't want to pressure you into something that you don't feel comfortable with."

Xehanort looked away. "I'll think about it."

Ansem tried to prevent the hurt from showing on his face, though he knew he wasn't completely successful. "Take all the time you need." A knock sounded at the door then, so he squeezed Xehanort lightly and stood up. "That's probably breakfast."

His guess proved to be correct, and within short order the meal was laid out on the table. Xehanort was quiet while he ate, despite Ansem's attempts to draw him into conversation, and seemed to be deep in thought. He was still thinking when Even arrived to stay with him while Ansem dealt with the servants. It was until he was preparing to leave that Xehanort said anything.

"Master Ansem?" he said hesitantly.

"Hmmmm?"

"The servants that didn't help me in the infirmary... What are you planning to do with them?"

"Since they refused to render assistance and allowed you to be hurt, that makes them an accessory to the rape. They will be dismissed from their posts and then tried in the courts. Why?"

"I think..." Xehanort swallowed heavily and seemed to be gathering his courage. "I think that they hate me enough. Can't you just leave them be?"

Ansem blinked in surprise. "I cannot let that go unpunished, Xehanort. Instead of trying to help you, they saw what was happening and ran off to blab to anyone that would listen that you were whoring yourself out. I have to discipline them."

"I don't want them to have any more reasons to hate me."

"I can suggest that they go easy on them. That is all I can do."

Xehanort looked down at his lap and nodded silently, and Ansem lightly touched his fingers his shoulder before he stepped out.

**OOOOOO**

Over the next few days, Ansem never left Xehanort's side. Once the servants had been taken care of, he stayed in his rooms, close to his son's side. Xehanort seemed to crave the contact, though he still kept calling his father "Master Ansem," much to Ansem's disappointment.

The night before Braig's trial, Sonora came by before bed to check on Xehanort as she had been. Once she had checked him over and said that he was still slowly improving, he went off to bed, and she pulled Ansem aside for a private word.

"They wanted Xehanort to speak to the court." she said quietly, and Ansem felt icy fear wrap around his heart.

"He is not ready for such a thing." he said firmly. "I won't allow it."

"It is not a concern, however. As his physician, I declared him medically unfit for it on the grounds that his physical and mental health are still too frail. They will have to go on the words of others. He wouldn't have handled such a thing well at all."

"I agree. Thank you for doing that."

"I do what I must. They are going to call for the two of us to speak, and likely Senior Apprentice Even as well."

"I will have to find someone to stay with him during the trial, because they will probably also call Aeleus and Dilan, since they were the first ones in the infirmary that day."

"I think it would be best if I were to hospitalize him under the watch of a few of my assistants. I still don't think it's safe for him to be left unwatched."

Ansem didn't bother to tell her that Xehanort had been sleeping alone without any restraints for the past few days. Instead he nodded in agreement to her suggestion and saw her to the door.

Xehanort was already asleep when he went in to check on him a few minutes later. He tugged the comforter up to his chin, brushed a few hairs out of his face, and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Xehanort stirred at the touch, but didn't wake, and Ansem forced himself to leave the boy's side and and seek out his own bed. The dawn came early, and he had Xehanort's future to see to.

**OOOOOO**

In the morning, Ansem rose from his bed, showered, dressed, and sent for breakfast. While he waited for it to arrive, he roused Xehanort.

"M'still tired. " Xehanort mumbled as he tried to pull the comforter over his head.

Ansem pulled it away. "I know, but you have to get up and get dressed. After breakfast, I'm going to take you to the infirmary."  
>"Why? I don't want to go back there!"<p>

Ansem pulled Xehanort up into a sitting position. "We don't want you to be alone while everyone is at Braig's trial, so you're going to stay in the infirmary with Sonora's assistants until it's over."

"Can't I just stay here?"

"No, we still don't think it's safe for you to be left alone right now."

"But I don't -"

Ansem cut him off. "Xehanort," he said firmly "You have to do this. You won't be in any danger, and either Even or myself will come back to you as soon as we can." He softened his tone. "We're doing this to ensure your future and to make sure that Braig can never lay his hands on you again. So please Xehanort, do as you're told."

Xehanort looked away, but he nodded.

Ansem smiled faintly. "Come now, breakfast will be here soon."

Xehanort sighed in defeat and stood up. He dressed himself without any difficulty and ate his breakfast without complaint. Ansem reached over and gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and realized that he was shaking. It dawned on him then that it was the first time that Xehanort had been outside this suite of rooms since Braig had attacked him in the infirmary nine days ago.

"No one is going to bother you." he whispered as they walked to the door a few minutes later to leave. "No one is going to hurt you. You are safe."

Xehanort leaned into him for a hug. "I don't want you to go." he whispered. "I don't want to be alone."

"I am doing this for you. I'll come back to you as soon as I can, I promise."

Xehanort nodded again and stepped back. "Let's go then."

The walk to the infirmary was silent, and Sonora was waiting for them when they arrived. The two of them settled Xehanort in one of the private rooms, and Ansem then had to pry Xehanort's hands off of his coat so they could leave.

"I need to go, Xehanort." he said gently. "You'll be safe here while I'm gone."

"I don't want you to leave." Xehanort said desperately. "I don't care about Braig. Please don't go!"

Ansem sat down beside him on the bed and allowed Xehanort to nestle close. "You may not care about Braig, but I care about you, and I do not want to see him hurt you again."

"Please don't leave me."

"I have to go, child. This needs to be done. I swear that, as soon as I can, I will come back. I have to stay through the entire trial, so Even will come and get you and take you back to my rooms. I will join you there as soon as things are settled. You will be safe here; no one will try to hurt you." He carefully pulled his coat out of Xehanort's grip and stood up. Xehanort looked up at him with eyes that were beginning to tear up, and Ansem leaned down and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I love you." He then turned and walked out of the room and tried to ignore the ache in his heart as he went.

Dilan and Aeleus were waiting for him outside the infirmary, and they fell into step behind him. They walked silently out of the castle and to the town hall, where the trial would be held. Normally, Ansem would sit in the highest seat in the front of the room along with four others from the courts, and together they would act as judge and jury, but today was different. Since the accused was one of his apprentices, and the victim was his son, he would sit to the side and act as witness only.

The four remaining judges were already seated when they walked in, and Ansem nodded at them as he, Dilan, and Aeleus walked over to the box where the witnesses sat and took seats. Even was already there.

"How is Xehanort?" he asked quietly over the babble of voices as the townsfolk filed in to fill the gallery.

Ansem shook his head. "Not well. He didn't want me to leave him."

"I imagine not."

"I told him that you would likely be done here first. When you leave, I want you to take him back to my rooms and stay there with him until I get back."

"I will."

"I also want Dilan and Aeleus to join you as soon as they can. No matter the outcome in here today, I wouldn't put it past someone to try something. Either someone from Braig's family or -"

"Lord forbid, Braig himself." Even finished. "I understand."

Ansem turned to face Dilan and Aeleus. "So as soon as you're done in here, go find Xehanort, and stay with him. Don't leave his side for an instant."

"Yes, Master Ansem.", "Yes, m'lord." came two replies, and Ansem turned back to face the rest of the room just as the side doors opened, and Braig was brought in.

His former apprentice looked calm and collected, and he even grinned at the gallery, like he was a popular actor greeting his fans instead of someone about to be put on trial for harming Radiant Garden's heir. Two guards walked him to stand on a small platform in the center of the room and shackled him to the floor by his ankles. They then stepped away, and the judges called for silence.

Ansem took a deep breath; it was time.

One of the judges addressed the court. "Today, we have a difficult case ahead of us. Braig Hickman, former apprentice to Lord Ansem Hart, stands accused of rape, multiple counts, against Heir Xehanort Hart. He also is accused of physical abuse against the heir on multiple occasions." The judge looked down at Braig. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Not a damned thing." Braig said easily. "I didn't do anything other than what the slut wanted."

"Which was?"

"He wanted me to fuck him."

In the seat beside Ansem, Even growled under his breath.

"According to what you told the Questioners," said another judge. "You approached him, not the other way around."

"What's the difference?"

"A great deal. Now did you approach him, or did he approach you?"

"Fine, I'll admit it, I approached him." Braig replied easily with that carefree grin of his.

"For what reason exactly?"

"I'm sure you already know that."

"Answer the question, Braig." said the third judge sternly. "You've been accused of a serious crime. Being flippant about it will only hurt you and your case."

Braig's eye flashed, but then the quick burst of anger vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Okay, okay, I wanted to fuck him. I just wanted a one night stand though. I didn't expect him to flop down on his back and spread his legs every time I looked at him."

Now it was Ansem's turn to growl quietly, which prompted Sonora to lay a hand on his shoulder in warning. Losing his temper here wouldn't help Xehanort any.

"So you took him multiple times despite only wanting a 'one night stand' as you put it?"

"No way in hell was I not going to take what he was offering. He was a good little fuck, meek and compliant with just enough of a struggle to spice it up."

"So he struggled. Did he ever try to get away or ask you to stop?"

"Nope."  
>"Did he ever cry or act as though what you were doing was hurting him?"<p>

"He cried all the damned time, but he never gave me a clue as to why."

"According to Heir Xehanort's testimony via the Questioners, that very first time he screamed and tried to get away, but you wouldn't let him. He also said you left him, injured, crying, and bleeding, when you were done and did not attempt to render him any aid."

Braig shrugged. "I got what I came for."

Ansem closed his eyes and clenched his fists as the judges continued to speak to Braig. How could have not seen it? Braig did not care at all for the harm he had caused to Xehanort, and he firmly believed that Xehanort's initial agreement exempted him from the law. The gallery was mostly silent, though there were some murmurs off and on as people quietly discussed things that Braig had said.

"When Heir Xehanort refused you, what did you do?"

"I did what I wanted anyway. He agreed to let me fuck him after all."

"The instant he told you no, any agreement you once had with him was no longer valid."

"What was the original agreement, exactly?' one of the judges wanted to know.

"Just that I could fuck him."

"Nothing else?"

"Nope."

"Yet he told the Questioners that you acted like you knew him before the onset of his amnesia and that you promised to tell him about himself in exchange for sex."

"The little slut is lying then! I never told him that!"

"He told the Questioners that you told him that he had no family, his homeworld was destroyed, he was a master swordsman, and that he had an apprentice of his own that had died. Need I go on?"

For a split second, a black aura flared to life around Braig, but it vanished when Ansem blinked. "I never told him anything like that! I don't know what that whore has told you, but he's lying!"

"I see. Care to explain the events in the infirmary nine days ago?"

"What events?"

"You were caught by several witnesses, including Lord Ansem, having intercourse with Heir Xehanort. All of those witnesses say the same thing; that Heir Xehanort had asked you multiple times to stop, citing pain and an unwillingness to continue. You refused to do so, and it wasn't until Lord Ansem pulled you off of him that it was brought to a halt."

Braig shrugged nonchalantly, with no trace of the anger he had shown just a few seconds before. "I already told you. He agreed to let me fuck him, so I did."

"That seems to be your answer for everything."

"It is the truth. What else do you want me to say?"

"Whatever made you believe that you were exempt from the law? The moment Heir Xehanort told you no, any agreement you may have had with him before was nullified. Why did you continue to pursue him?"

"I already told you that? I wanted to fuck him."

"That doesn't explain why you seemed to think that it was acceptable to touch him after he had told you to leave him alone."

Braig shrugged without saying anything, and one of the judges sighed.

"We're getting nowhere," he said before he fixed a stern glare on Braig. "This is your last chance. Do you have anything else to say in your defense?" Braig simply shrugged again and grinned, and the judge nodded. "Very well. Let us have the next witness."

Two guards moved Braig from the docket in which he had been standing over to a small enclosure by the judges' stand. He flopped himself down in the provided chair while he was shackled to the sturdy railing that circled it and leaned back lazily.

"Lord Ansem Hart." called out one of the judges, and Ansem stood up and walked to the docket. He stood in the center of the platform and tried to stop his hands from shaking. It wouldn't do for the crowd to see just how nervous he was at the impending questioning. His refusal to support Xehanort had been the reason that things had gone so badly for the boy, so he had much to answer for.

"Lord Ansem," one of the judges began, "after reading what the Questioners learned from you and Heir Xehanort, we aren't even sure where to begin. Your behavior towards the son that you agreed to love as your own was questionable at best, abusive at worst. However, as you are not the one on trial, we will start with when you began to suspect that something was wrong with Heir Xehanort four months ago. Tell us what happened."

Ansem took a deep breath and faced the judges. "I became concerned about Xehanort when I noticed a change in his behavior. He yet normally very outgoing, attentive to his studies, eager to work, and fine with working in a large group or alone, yet I had noticed that he had become very shy, distracted, and fearful of being alone. When he missed breakfast one morning, something that he hadn't done since his recovery two years ago, I pulled him aside and asked if anything was wrong."

"What did he say?"

"He simply said that he was tired and refused to say more."

"Did you believe him?"

"No, I did not."

"So what did you do then?"

"Nothing at first. I believed that if didn't wish to tell me what was happening, then it was his business, but I was still very concerned, and that night, I went to check on him."

"What did you see?"

"I found Xehanort in his bedroom with Braig."

"Describe the scene to us."

"Xehanort was face down on the bed, with his nightgown hiked up past his waist, and his face was turned away from me. His legs were spread apart. Braig was kneeling between them, and he was dressed, but his pants were pushed down some. I realized immediately what they were doing."

"Which was?"

Ansem sighed. "Having sex."

"Then what happened?"

"I heard Braig tell Xehanort that this was the agreement that they had had and that he couldn't back out. He also said that Xehanort was just a whore and that no one would care if they found out."

"Did Heir Xehanort say anything during this?"

"No, he only screamed twice."

"What happened then?"

"I slammed the door open and went in. I ordered Braig off of Xehanort, had Dilan detain him, and then Aeleus carried Xehanort to the infirmary."

"Continue."

"Xehanort spent the night in the infirmary, and I stayed with him. In the morning, Dilan informed me that Braig has stated that Xehanort had been a wiling participant. I asked Xehanort if that was true, and he admitted that it was. I... didn't react well."

"Yes, you called your own child a whore and told him he deserved what had happened to him. Is that correct?"

Ansem hung his head. "To my shame, it is. I didn't give him a chance to explain, and I stormed out without letting him speak. I ordered Braig's release from the dungeon and left Xehanort to fend for himself. I told the others that Braig had committed no crime, and they followed my lead."

"So you abandoned your son just when he needed you the most?"

"Yes," Ansem whispered without raising his head.

"What did you do after that?"

"I carried on like normal and paid scarce attention to Xehanort when I saw him. I barely noticed when he stopped speaking to everyone and stopped joining us for meals."

"Did at any time did you become concerned? Did you ever ask him if he was all right or check on him?"

"No," Ansem hung his head, "I just ignored him. I figured that since he had gotten himself into such a mess, then he could find a way to get himself out of it. It wasn't until one of the maids told me that something appeared to be seriously wrong with him that I went to look in on him. I found him on lying on his living room floor. I'm ashamed to admit that ignored his poor physical condition and lectured him for his behavior and lack of hygiene. I told him that I wanted him bathed, dressed, and ready to work in the labs the next morning, and then I left him lying there."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Not a word."

"What did you do then?"

"I finished my day and went to bed, but it was then that I really began to think about his behavior, and it worried me enough that I went to check on him."

"And you found him as he was walking down the castle halls."

"Yes, I followed him, curious as to where he was going. I followed him out of the castle and through town, but I lost him when someone hurled a rock at him." Behind him, Ansem thought he heard a nervous cough in the gallery, but he ignored it. "By the time I had stopped the person from throwing a second rock, Xehanort had already gone down to the Rising Falls, which is where I caught up with him."

"Whereupon he tried to kill himself."

"Yes, I caught him and pulled him out, and a few minutes later a few members of the guard appeared, and we took him back to the castle."

"So he was hospitalized over night, and you stayed with him."

"Yes,"

"What happened then?"

"I had gone to take a shower, leaving Xehanort tied down to his bed. When I came out of the shower, I found Braig with him..."

"And?"

Ansem took another deep breath. "I clearly heard Xehanort ask Braig to stop, and I heard him say that what Braig was doing was hurting him. I also heard Braig refuse, citing that they had an agreement."

"Just to be perfectly clear, what were they doing?"

"Braig was having sex with Xehanort, though I daresay that this time, Xehanort was in no way willing. It was clear that he had tried to get away, but the restraints meant to protect him from himself had prevented that. I pulled Braig off of Xehanort and demanded to know what he thought he was doing. Braig only grinned and said they were having fun -" Here he heard a snort from Braig. "- and when I pointed out that it didn't seem like that to me and that I wouldn't have a rapist under my roof, harming my son, he said that we didn't care before, so why now?"

"What happened then?"

"Aeleus had to stop me from hitting Braig, and it was then that I noticed all of the people in the room, many of them servants. Even was in the room as well, and he had Xehanort in his arms. I took Xehanort to my rooms to get him away from all the gossip and stares."

"And he has been in your care since then."

"He has."

"Where is he now?"

"He is in a safe place, under watch."

"Thank you, Lord Ansem, you may be seated."

Ansem nodded and went back to the witness gallery, and the judges called for Even. His testimony mirrored Ansem's in many places, though he admitted that he had been worried about Xehanort and had tried to talk to him a few times. Each time though, he'd been unable to find Xehanort, or Xehanort had refused to speak to him. The greatest difference was that Even had seen more of what had happened in the infirmary that morning, including the various servants that had been alerted by Xehanort's cries but had done nothing to help him. Many of them had either stood by and watched and laughed, or ran off to tell anyone that would listen that Heir Xehanort had been whoring himself out again. Even was then dismissed, and as planned, he left the hall to go back to Xehanort.

A few members of the castle guard were then called, including Dilan and Aeleus. They all spoke of seeing Xehanort's deteriorating health, with many of them attempting to get him some help, only to be foiled by Ansem's refusal to believe that there was anything wrong and by Xehanort's refusal to stay visible for more than a few seconds. It was almost as though he had rendered himself invisible, one of the guards said. Once they had spoken, Dilan and Aeleus also left to go stay with Xehanort and Even.

Finally, Sonora was called to the stand, and she carried a thick folder that was stuffed full of Xehanort's medical records. A small table was set up on the docket for her, and she laid out her papers before looking up at the judges to signal that she was ready.

"Doctor," one of the judges began, "You have been looking after Heir Xehanort's health since his arrival here, is that correct?"

She nodded once. "It is."

"Please tell us of the injuries he had sustained when he was in your infirmary four months ago."

She nodded and picked up a sheet of paper to read off of it. "Heir Xehanort was brought to my infirmary while unconscious, carried there by Apprentice Aeleus. An exam revealed severe bruising and swelling of his face, with his right eye swollen nearly shut. The right orbital bone was cracked in two places, and bruises clearly showed a pattern that matched Braig's knuckles perfectly. Heir Xehanort's wrists had suffered severe abrasions and were raw and bleeding as a result. Burn marks that were consistent were fighting against restraints were plainly visible, as well as grooves dug into his skin from the tightness of the thin rope that had been used to bind him. Rectal bleeding was also present, and I found two large anal fissures that had to be sewn shut, as well as a rectal tear that also needed stitches."

"In your professional opinion, what are those types of injuries consistent with?"

"Rape," Sonora stated succinctly, "It was clear to me immediately that Heir Xehanort had been the victim of a violent sexual assault."

"Did you find anything else of note?"

"Yes,"

"Please tell us what that was."

"I found anal and rectal callousing, scarring, and healed tears, some of which looked fairly recent."

"What did that tell you?"

"That it wasn't the first time he'd experienced anal sex, and that it was at best, uncomfortable, and at worst, extremely painful."

"How long was he hospitalized?"

"I wanted to keep him for a few days, but after Lord Ansem refused to support him, he fled the infirmary later that evening."

"Did you try to find him?"

"I tried. I even sent the guard out to look for him, but he was difficult to find, and when he was found again, he refused to come back. I had no authority to force him, so I had to hope that he would come back willingly."

"Which he never did."

"No,"

"So you did not see him again until after his suicide attempt?"

"That is correct."

"What kind of state was he in when he was brought to you?"

Sonora picked up another sheet of paper. "Heir Xehanort was exhausted, severely underweight, suffering from vitamin D and C deficiency, which caused scurvy and a weakening of his bones and muscles. He also had welts, scarring and bruising all over his back from shoulders to knees. Obviously severely depressed and suicidal, and again, multiple large fissure and tears, with some appearing as thought they were only hours old."

"Again, in your opinion, what did that tell you?"

"That Heir Xehanort had been subject to frequent physical abuse, as well as frequent, violent, sexual abuse, and that, combined with his adopted family's refusal to support him, caused him to suffer severe depression."

"How would you judge his physical and mental health now?"

"Slowly healing, but still very fragile, on both counts."

"Thank you, Doctor, you may be seated."

Sonora nodded, gathered up her papers and files, and returned to her seat, while the judges conferred with each other.

After a few moments, they faced the court. "We have come to the conclusion that we do not have all the needed information, thus we are calling Heir Xehanort to speak."

Ansem was on his feet in an instant, protesting, as was Sonora.

"I made it clear to you that Heir Xehanort was in no condition to speak in front of the court." she said firmly. "So why are you calling him?"

"There is information missing, and to make sure that we know everything that we need to know before passing judgment, he must speak and tell us his side of the story."

"Was his testimony to the Questioners not enough?" Ansem demanded. "My son has been through so much, and you wish to subject him to this?"

Someone – one of Braig's siblings, Ansem thought – jeered from the gallery, and one of the judges held up a hand. "Enough. Our decision is final. Either Heir Xehanort speaks in front of the court, or we will be forced to pass judgment with what information we have."

Ansem growled quietly but conceded defeat, and he dispatched one of the castle guard to fetch Xehanort. He then returned to his seat and tried to ignore Braig's grin and the gossip running through the gallery. Sonora sat down beside him, and he could hear her muttering to herself about the idiocy of the judges.

It was about ten minutes later that Even walked into the hall, and he turned back towards the door to coax Xehanort in. Xehanort was dressed in his normal outfit sans his lab coat, and his weight loss was plain to see as the clothing seemed to just hang off of him. He walked timidly into the room, eyes on the floor, and Dilan and Aeleus came in behind him. As they passed where Braig was seated, Braig grinned, reached out, and gave Xehanort a hard pinch. Xehanort whipped around to look at him, shrieked in fright, and darted into Even's arms.

"Restrain him further, please." one of the judges ordered, and Braig soon found his hands shackled to the railing in front of him, but it didn't seem to bother him any.

Xehanort kept his face hidden as Even walked him to the docket, and it took a minute or so of whispering in his ear before he would let go of Even's arm and allow him to walk away. Xehanort let his arms drop to the side and kept his eyes on the floor, shaking as he stood in place. Ansem had to fight the urge to get up and go to him, but doing so could potentially hurt their case. Xehanort had to do it alone.

"Heir Xehanort?" one of the judges said gently. "Do you know why you are here?"

"Even said you wanted me to speak." Xehanort said softly, and even with the enhanced acoustics of the room, his voice could barely be heard.

"Heir Xehanort," said the second judge, "we know that you are not well; it's plain from looking at you that you are ill. We will try to keep this brief so you can rest, but we need you to look at us, not the floor, and answer our questions. Can you do that for us?"

"I'll... I'll try." Xehanort replied as he slowly raised his head to look at them. He seemed to notice all the eyes on him then, and he shivered as his shaking worsened.

The third judge nodded. "You told the Questioners that Apprentice Braig seemed to know you. Can you explain why you believed that?"

Xehanort went to look down at the floor again but caught himself. "He always seemed so familiar with me." he said quietly. "He treated me like we had known each other, and he was always asking me if I remembered anything, more than everyone else did. Sometimes he called me Mr. Master and said that he had my back."

"Did you ask him about this?"

"I did. He always refused to answer me."

"But you kept asking him?"

"I had to know if he knew anything about me."

"Then what happened?"

"He got tired of me asking him, and one day, he hit me."

"He hit you?"

"He punched me in the mouth and knocked me down."

"What did he do then?"

"He walked up to me, and I thought he was going to hit me again, but he knelt down in front of me and said 'So you want to know?' I nodded, and he said that he would tell me, but asked if I was going to pay the price." Braig snorted then, which caused Xehanort to flinch and fall silent.

"You told the Questioners that when you agreed, he took you down into the lower levels of the castle, is that correct?"

"Yes,"

"We won't ask you to relive it, Heir Xehanort, but it was after that that he began to come onto you frequently, correct?"

"Yes,"

"Did you ever try and refuse him?"

"Not at first."

"But you did eventually?"

"Yes,"

"When and why?"

Xehanort swallowed. "A few months after... things started. He stopped telling me things, and I got tired of being hurt, so I told him that I didn't want him to touch me anymore."

"Did he obey you?"

"No," Xehanort's voice was barely a whisper, "He said that I was his to do with as he pleased."

"How long did this continue?"

"For months,"

"Can you give us a more precise time frame?"

"It started about six months ago."

"So he held up his end of the agreement for how long?"

"Maybe a month, I think."

"And from then on, you told him no."

"Yes,"

"But he ignored your refusals."

"Yes,"

"Did he give a reasoning for this?"

"He said that since I had agreed in the beginning, that I was his to play with. He also said that no one would care if they found out, because I was just a whore."

"So just to be clear, for the past five months, you were not a willing participant in any of this?"

"No,"

"You lying little bitch!" Braig snarled as he tried to get up from his chair. "You never once refused! All I had to do was look at your and you'd flop down on your back and spread your legs, so don't you fucking say that you didn't want it!"

"No!" Xehanort wailed as he began to cry. "I didn't!"

"Enough, Apprentice Braig!" one of the judges barked, "You had your chance to speak!"

Braig subsided, muttering to himself, and Ansem looked back at Xehanort to see him scrubbing at his eyes with his shirt sleeve, shaking harder than he had been before.

"I didn't want it." he sobbed quietly. "I just wanted to know who I am."

"Heir Xehanort," said one of the judges, "We're almost done here, but we need you to tell us what happened in the infirmary nine days ago. Can you do that for us?"

Xehanort hiccuped and nodded. "Master Ansem had left me to go take a shower. I went back to sleep, but I woke up when someone pulled the blanket off of me."

"Who was it?"

"It was Braig. I tried to get away from him, but I was tied to the bed, so all I could do was scoot up against he headboard. I told him to go away, to leave me alone, but he.. he just grinned at me." Xehanort looked down at the floor and fell silent.

"Heir Xehanort, you do not have to give us details, but we have to know one fact. Did he rape you?"

"Yes," Xehanort's whispered reply could barely be heard in the otherwise silent room.

"Bitch!" Ansem blinked and suddenly Braig was there beside Xehanort. How had he gotten -?

"Let go!" Xehanort wailed as Braig grabbed him by his collar, and he tried to pry Braig's hands away. Ansem vaulted over the railing that separated the witness box from the rest of the room as Braig began to drag Xehanort down from the docket towards the door. He saw Dilan and Aeleus moving quickly towards them as well.

"Let go of me, Braig!" The gallery sat in shocked silence as Braig twisted Xehanort's collar in his hand, and Xehanort choked as the constricting material began to strangle him.

"You lying little fucker!" Braig snarled as he dragged Xehanort, still struggling to get his breath, across the room. "I never fucking raped you!"

Aeleus and Dilan reached them then, and they pried Braig's hands free of Xehanort's shirt just as Ansem reached them. Xehanort fell into his arms, which sent the two of them tumbling to the floor. Xehanort gasped for air as Braig was dragged away from him, and Ansem tilted his head back to look at him.

"Xehanort?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"

Xehanort looked up at him, his eyes dazed and unfocused, and then he fainted as the gallery behind them exploded with noise. Shouts and yells echoed through the room as Ansem shook Xehanort in an attempt to wake him. "Xehanort!"

Sonora appeared beside him then, and she waved a small vial of smelling salts under Xehanort's nose. Xehanort coughed, and his eyes opened a crack. "Master Ansem?" he mumbled.

"I'm here, Xehanort."

"He does not need to be here any longer, Lord Ansem." Sonora said seriously over the loud conversations behind them. "He needs to be someplace quiet."

"Then I am taking him out of here." he said firmly as he looked up at the judges, and they all nodded in apparent understanding. "Dilan!"

Dilan approached them from where he had been standing guard by Braig, once again restrained in his chair, with Aeleus standing behind him. "My lord?"

"I need you to carry, Xehanort; we're getting him out of here."

"Yes, sir."

"Even?" Ansem looked around for Even for a moment before he found him standing nearby. "Stay here and report to me about the verdict later."

"Yes, your lordship."

Dilan carefully gathered Xehanort into his arms and quickly walked out of the hall with Ansem close behind.

It was a quick, quiet walk through town back to the castle. Many people were back in the hall, and those that had opted not to attend went about their business without saying anything. Xehanort, exhausted form his ordeal, fell asleep in Dilan's arms as they walked up the winding steps to the castle, though off and on, Ansem noted that his eyes were open a tiny bit, as if he was checking that they were still with him. By the time they rode the lifts up the Ansem's rooms, he had stopped checking and was sleeping soundly when they walked through the door into the living room. Dilan gently laid Xehanort down on the bed and went to stand guard in the hallway without having to be told.

Ansem made Xehanort comfortable: he pulled his shoes and gray vest off, untied the ascot and put it aside, and unbuttoned his collar. Xehanort curled up on his right side with a quiet sigh as the comforter was pulled over him, and Ansem sat down beside him to watch over him as he slept.

**OOOOOO**

It wasn't until a few hours later, that there was a soft knock at the door. Ansem looked up from Xehanort's sleeping form and stood up to go to the door, but before he could reach it, it opened as Even stepped quietly into the room and closed the door behind him.

"How did it go?" Ansem asked quietly as he walked into the living room.

Even sighed heavily. "They found him guilty." he replied, and Ansem released the breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"However," Even continued, "they did take into count Xehanort's initial agreement, so they didn't sentence him to death. Instead they sentenced him to spend the rest of his life in the dungeon."

Ansem sighed and gave a slow nod. "How did the gallery take it?"

"Surprisingly well. After seeing Braig loose his temper, I overheard many questioning his story. His attitude that he could do whatever he wanted because of the initial agreement, despite Xehanort's later refusals, didn't help his case any. His family were a bit upset, but I'm not sure if that was due to the verdict or to his actions."

"At least," Ansem sighed again and wiped at his suddenly damp eyes. "At least Xehanort can relax now. Braig will never be able to get his hands on him again.."

Even nodded, and the two of them stood there in silence for a moment before the sound of Xehanort shifting in bed fell upon their ears.

"Master Ansem?"

Ansem turned and walked back into the bedroom to see Xehanort sitting up in bed and rubbing at his eyes.

"I'll show myself out." Even said quietly, and Ansem nodded as he walked back into the bedroom. He sat down on the bed beside Xehanort, and then he reached out and enfolded his sleepy eyed son in his arms.

"Master Ansem?"

Ansem didn't answer; he only held Xehanort tight, and he blinked away the tears that appeared in his eyes. It was done; it was over. Xehanort was safe.

Xehanort sat up and looked at him in confusion. "Why are you crying?"

Ansem smiled a faint smile. "I'm just relieved, that is all."

"Why?"

"The judges found Braig guilty."

"They did? Why?"

He still didn't believe it; he still didn't understand.

"Because he hurt you, Xehanort. As I told you before, the instant you told him no, any agreement you may have had with him was rendered null and void. That, Xehanort is rape, which is not only a horrible thing to do to someone, but it is very illegal, especially against you."

Xehanort blinked. "Oh," he said quietly.

"He's going to spend the rest of his life in the dungeons; he's never going to touch you again."

He felt Xehanort begin to shake slightly. "Really?"

"Really." Ansem smoothed Xehanort's wispy hair back from his face. "You're safe, Xehanort."

Xehanort looked at him in silence for a long moment, and then his face crumpled as tears began to run down his cheeks. He leaned into Ansem's embrace and laid his head down on his shoulder and cried. Ansem rocked him, hummed a quiet lullaby to him, and stroked his hair.

It was done.

**OOOOOO**

"Master Ansem?"

Ansem turned away from the hand painted vases he was looking at at the sound of Xehanort's voice. His son was standing behind him, and he gestured in the direction of where the food vendors had set up their stalls.

"I'm going to get something to drink? Do you want anything?"

Ansem smiled at him. In the year since Braig had been found guilty of abusing Radiant Garden's heir and imprisoned in the dungeons below the castle, Xehanort had slowly recovered from the months of abuse and depression. He was once again a healthy weight, and his soft, shiny white hair reached halfway down his back. His brown eyes had noticeable light to them, and his sharp wit and quick mind was once again in plain sight.

He went through his work in the labs with enthusiasm, but he also enjoyed quiet evenings with Ansem, where they discussed the ins and outs of running an entire world. He had been reluctant to go out and mingle with the people again, but Ansem, Even, and the others had finally dragged him out of the castle about a month after Braig's sentencing. Many people had stared openly at him, but thankfully, none of those gazes had been hostile, and no one had said anything to him. Apparently, Braig's behavior at his trial had made it clear to people that Xehanort had been a victim in the entire mess. Slowly over the passing weeks, the people had warmed back up to Xehanort, with some wishing him well, and others telling him that they were glad to see him healing. Without any anger of hostility to frighten him, Xehanort had slowly opened back up to everyone around him, though he still wouldn't leave the castle alone.

"Master Ansem?" Ansem shook off the memories as Xehanort spoke to him again. "Do you want anything?"

Ansem smiled again at his beautiful, healthy son: whole, unhurt, _alive_. "No, Xehanort, I'm fine."

"I'll be right back then." Xehanort walked away, though the crowd of dancers that filled the outer gardens for the annual spring festival. Dilan, who had been standing nearby, nodded and followed him. Ansem watched them go with a slight smile on his face.

No matter what, he knew he would never forget how close he came to losing his son. The guilt had faded slightly over the months as he slowly nursed Xehanort back to health, but he knew it would never completely go away. And truly, he hoped it wouldn't.

He turned back to the pottery vendor. No, the guilt served as a reminder to never turn on his child again, to always listen before passing judgment, to always put Xehanort ahead of everyone else. He would -

A scream cut through the noise of the crowd, followed by a gun shot, and everyone stilled as Ansem whipped around to stare in the direction the sound had come from. His heart hammered away in his chest; that had been Xehanort's voice. A second scream came from the direction that Xehanort had gone, and people began to murmur in confusion as Ansem began to move through the crowd. He started out walking, but his walk increased until he was running to where he had last seen his son. Aeleus ran right behind him, and soon they came upon a large number of people, standing in a circle.

"Let me through!" Ansem ordered, and the circle parted so he could step through. "No..."

In the center of the circle was Braig, dressed in his prison garb and grinning like all was right in the world as he held a gun to Xehanort's head. Xehanort's eyes were wide with fright, and Ansem could see him shaking in Braig's grip. Dilan was down on his hands and knees nearby, glaring at Braig while holding his hand over a bleeding wound in his side.

"Well hello, Master Ansem." Braig said with a cheery grin. "Sorry to interrupt your day, but the slut -" He tightened his arm around Xehanort's neck, which prompted a pained whimper. "- and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Ansem stepped forward. "Let go of him, Braig."

Braig laughed like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Let him go? Why would I do that?" He pressed the barrel of the gun harder against Xehanort's temple. "After all the trouble he's caused me, letting me use him to put on a show is the least he can do for me."

"Haven't you hurt him enough? When will it stop, Braig?"

Braig leveled his single yellow eye at Ansem. "When he gives me what he promised."

"He did give you what he promised." Ansem slowly stepped towards them, with Aeleus right behind him. "But you did not give him what _you_ promised, and when he told you no, you took what you wanted anyway!"

Braig laughed again. "You think that's what this is about? Don't make me laugh! He promised me before he ended up here, and he has yet to deliver on that promise! If he doesn't hand it over, then I'll just have to take my payment some other way."

"Braig-"

Braig stepped back and dragged Xehanort with him. "Don't fucking do it, Ansem! I'll kill him, I fucking swear I will!"

"Let go of him, Braig!"

Braig laughed again, and everyone, including Ansem and Aeleus, stepped back when a smokey, black aura flared to life around Braig, and his single yellow eye began to glow. Xehanort cried out, and Braig laughed as he dragged him back into a black hole that appeared behind them.

"Xehanort!" Ansem ran forward to grab his son, but Xehanort vanished into the black hole along with Braig, and then the hole vanished as well, like it had never been there. "Xehanort!" Ansem screamed his child's name, and the crowd around erupted with noise. He looked around, and he saw Even tending to Dilan as the people talked excitedly about what they had just seen. Where was Xehanort? Where had Braig taken him?

Then he knew.

"Even," he ordered, and his Senior Apprentice looked up at him, "Get Dilan to the castle." He saw Even nod, and he turned to Aeleus. "Come with me, quickly." He then ran out of the Outer Gardens, with Aeleus right behind him. The crowed parted to let him go.

It was a short distance to the entrance to the Rising Falls, but for Ansem it seemed to take forever. The entire distance he begged Xehanort to hang on, to be alive when they reached him, and he refused to entertain the thought that the would be too late. So it was with relief when he heard Xehanort's screams over the roar of the water as they neared the hatch. He and Aeleus ran down the steps, just as Braig spoke.

"Stop screaming, you damned slut! This is nothing that you haven't had before!"

Ansem felt his heart skip a beat, but as he and Aeleus reached the bottom of the steps, he was relieved again to see Xehanort lying on the edge of the falls, pinned under Braig's weight, but still fully dressed. His pants were undone, but they were still on, and he was struggling against Braig's attempts to undress him. Aeleus ran forward to grab him, but Braig looked up, saw them, and he snarled something as the black aura appeared around him again, plainly visible even in the dim lighting.

"Get off of me!" Xehanort shouted, and Braig looked down at him just as Xehanort pulled his legs back and kicked him in the chest. Braig was knocked off of Xehanort by the blow, and he stumbled back towards the ledge as Ansem ran forward. Braig teetered on the edge for a moment, and then his foot slipped, and he seemed to fall straight down towards the water. He growled something, and then he dragged Xehanort by the ankle just before he disappeared from view.

Xehanort screamed as he was pulled toward the edge, and he clawed uselessly at the stone as he slipped over. Ansem was hit by a strong feeling of familiarity as he leapt forward once again, and he just barely was able to grab Xehanort's wrist. Once again, he found himself lying on the ledge, holding onto his son, the only thing stopping him plunging to his death in the vortex below.

"Master Ansem!" Xehanort wailed over the roar of the vortex. "Pull me up! Don't let me fall!"

Ansem felt himself sliding forward, and he looked down past Xehanort to see Braig hanging onto Xehanort's ankle. The two of them were too heavy, he would never be able to pull them both up!

"I don't want to die!"

Ansem felt someone beside him then, and then Aeleus reached down with his strong arms and grabbed Xehanort's other wrist.

"Bitch!" Braig's words could just barely be heard. "If I'm going to fucking die, then you're dying with me!"

"No! Let go of me, Braig! I don't want to die! Don't let me fall!"

"Let's get them up." Aeleus said, and Ansem nodded as the two of them began to scoot backwards away from the ledge, pulling Xehanort, and Braig, up away from the water. Xehanort's hand slipped out of Ansem's grip, and he screamed as he dangled from Aeleus' hands alone.

"Papa! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Don't let me fall!"

Ansem reached for Xehanort's flailing hand, and he saw Braig grin and yank with his entire weight on Xehanort's leg. Xehanort screamed again as he slipped a little closer to the water.

"I don't want to die, Papa!"

"Give me your hand, Xehanort!"

"Papa, I'm slipping! Catch me!"

"Reach for me, Xehanort!"

"Papa!"

Braig laughed again, followed by another yank on Xehanort's leg.

"Paaaapaaaa!" Xehanort screamed as he slipped down another fraction, as Ansem missed grabbing his hand again. "Papa, please!"

Braig pulled on Xehanort's leg a third time, but then, with the hiss of fabric across skin, Xehanort's pants slipped down over his hips and down his legs. Ansem finally caught his hand in his own, and he saw as the boy's pants, pulled on by Braig's weight, slipped down over his boots and off of him completely. Braig screamed as his grip slipped along with the fabric, and his scream continued as he fell down, down, down into the water. There was a splash, and Ansem closed his eyes and looked away as the scream abruptly cut off.

Without Braig hanging onto him, Ansem and Aeleus were easily able to pull Xehanort back up onto the ledge, and like he had a year ago, Ansem found himself sitting on the ground away from the edge, holding his crying son in his arms. He ran his fingers through Xehanort's damp hair and pressed his lips to his forehead. "I've got you, Xehanort. You're safe. Shhh..."

Xehanort curled close to him and hid his face, and Ansem rocked him and felt his own eyes fill with relieved tears. Xehanort was alive, safe, and in his arms. "Xehanort," he said after a few minutes had passed, and Xehanort's cries had quieted into hiccups. Xehanort looked up at him. "You called me Papa." He smiled, and Xehanort faintly returned it. "You called me Papa." He held Xehanort tighter. "I'm so, so happy to hear that." He nudged Xehanort off of his lap and stood up, before pulling him to his feet as well. He was suddenly glad that the lab coats they wore were long enough to cover Xehanort's bare legs. "Come, let's go back to the castle. No doubt Even and Dilan are frantic with worry by now."

Xehanort nodded, but as they began to walk toward the steps, he paused and looked back towards the falls. He stared at it in silence for a long moment, and then he turned and walked up the steps to street level, with Ansem's arm around his shoulders.

**OOOOOO**

Ansem sat silently in front of the library window, book in hand, basking in the warmth of the sunlight that shone down on him. He looked up from the words on the pages to look out the library windows. Below, in the castle town, he could see the townspeople setting up for the upcoming festival to celebrate Xehanort ascending to the actual position of ruler of Radiant Garden. He had been unofficially running the world for the past year, and Ansem had decided that it was time to finally step down and let the boy have it for real.

Boy, Ansem smiled. Xehanort was 31 years old and had a wife and child of his own, yet Ansem couldn't help but sometimes see that lost, frightened teenager that he had taken in, and the lonely, abused young man that Braig had turned him into. It had taken him years to fully heal, but Xehanort was strong again, and Ansem knew that he was leaving the world in good hands.

He had to admit, though he and the others had done their best to help Xehanort after Braig's death, it was someone completely unexpected that had helped the most.

He had long known that Even had two younger siblings; a brother six years his junior, and a sister that was born when Even was eight. After he'd been taken to live at the castle, Even had cut them out of his life like he had his parents and refused to knowledge that he had relatives around. His sister, Evangeline, had been four when custody of Even was given to Ansem to get him away from emotionally and verbally abusive parents, so everyone had been surprised when she had appeared at the castle one day as a young woman, asking to see her oldest brother. Even had rebuffed her at first, but soon he had come to enjoy her visits and company, and he apparently hadn't been the only one.

Xehanort had married Evangeline when they had been 26 and 24 respectively, and a year later, their son, Ansem's first grandchild, had been born. With a devoted wife and a loving child in his life, Xehanort had blossomed in ways that Ansem had never though possible, and it did his old heart good to see his son happy and living, despite the stubborn resistance of his amnesia, and the haunting specter of the pain he had suffered at Braig's hand.

And speaking of his grandson...

"Grampa!" a small voice squealed in glee, and a second later a brown haired blur streaked across the library floor and leapt up onto Ansem's lap. His grandson, four year old Terra Hart, grinned happily at him, and the grin was reflected in the child's bright blue eyes. "Grampa, Papa asked me to see if you were sleeping, but I knew you wasn't! And I was right, see?"

"Did he now?" he asked. "Well, you were certainly up to the task, young Terra."

"Yes, he certainly was." Xehanort said as he walked into the library, and Terra squealed again and leapt down off of Ansem's lap.

"Papa! Grampa's not sleeping! See?"

Xehanort scooped his bundle of energy up into his arms. "Yes, I see, Terra." He smirked at Ansem. "At least, he isn't _now._"

Ansem laughed and put his book aside before standing up from the chair. "It's fine, Xehanort. It wouldn't do for me to be late for my own son's coronation, would it?" He stretched and groaned in pleasure as his old joints popped and cracked. "Is everyone ready?"

"Waiting on you." said a new voice, and Evangeline came into the room, carrying her and Xehanort's second child, their eight month old daughter Lassiera, in her arms. The green eyed, white haired infant looked around the library, and then she yawned and stuck her fist in her mouth. The library was old news to her; she had seen it multiple times already in her short life. "Even and Ienzo are waiting for us in the square, and Dilan and Aeleus are, as always, waiting to escort us there."

"Where is Tenner?" Ansem asked as they began to walk out of the library. Tenner was Dilan's six year old son.

"He is with Ienzo and Alendra." Xehanort replied.

Evangeline laughed quietly as they left the library and walked down the corridor, with Dilan walking in front of them and Aeleus walking behind. "Can you imagine it? I never would have picked Ienzo for the one to get married at only eighteen."

"And then have twin girls a year later." Aeleus commented. "Who knew he had it in him?"

"Even's over the moon that he and Alendra named him grandfather to Carlita and Gemma." Ansem said.

"Though he'll deny it if you ask him about it." Xehanort said dryly. "He thinks being a grandfather makes him an old man."

"He has no problem with being an uncle though." Dilan said as the walked out of the front doors, and the group laughed as they walked down the long winding steps to the square.

"That's Even for you." Xehanort added as they neared the square, and he set Terra down and let the child run the rest of the way over to Even, Ienzo, and Alendra. Even scooped the giggling child up, and Ansem smiled as Terra excitedly pointed them out of his uncle. Ienzo and Alendra, each holding a baby girl in their arms, smiled widely as they approached, and Ansem gave Xehanort a small push from behind. Xehanort stopped to look at him, even as the rest of their group kept going.

"Go on, Xehanort." Ansem told him gently. "This is your day. I just get to sit back and be proud of you."

Xehanort said nothing for a few seconds, and then he suddenly pulled Ansem into a hug, and Ansem smiled and returned it. He didn't think it was possible to be any more proud of his son, or to love him any more.

"Thank you, Papa." Xehanort whispered. "Thank you for everything. I love you."

"I love you too, Xehanort." Ansem let go of him and stepped back. "Now go out there and show them that you're the lord and ruler of Radiant Garden."

"Walk with me?"

"Always."

They turned back towards the square, and Ansem smiled again as Xehanort's arm slipped around his shoulders as they walked down the rest of the steps. Their family was waiting.


End file.
